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Arbitration, Unions and Catholic Social Teaching

A guest contribution from Catholic Labor Network member Michael Loconto. Michael teaches arbitration to union staff and officers at the Boston Labor Guild. In the contentious world of labor relations, disagreements between workers and employers are frequent.  Collective bargaining agreements offer methods of self-help to the parties: grievance processes compel management and labor to meet […]

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO MANAGERS AND DELEGATES OF THE ITALIAN GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF LABOUR (CGIL)

Pope Francis recently addressed members of the CGIL — Italy’s version of the AFL-CIO — about labor unions, worker justice and other themes. The English version of the Holy Father’s remarks comes courtesy of Google Translate. Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! I welcome you and thank the Secretary-General for his words. This meeting with […]

Ending 2022 with Wins for Workers

The year 2022 has ended with some important wins for workers. Last week we noted in this space how, after years of effort, domestic workers in the US capital won a bill of rights in a unanimous vote by the DC City Council. This week we mark three more important developments over the Christmas season. […]

DC Domestic Workers Win Bill of Rights

After a long journey toward justice, Washington DC’s domestic workers scored a major victory yesterday when the DC City Council voted unanimously to enact a Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. Until now, domestic workers – maids, nannies, au pairs, and many home health aides – were excluded from employment law protections that most workers take […]

Clean Up Kingspan!

A guest contribution from CLN Member John Murphy Clean Up Kingspan, a worker-led effort to make changes at Kingspan, the $11 billion dollar Irish-based global building manufacturer, has made progress in 2022 by working together and expanding their outreach to leaders in the green building community. The campaign kicked off in 2021, when workers at […]

A Catholic Labor Leader Reflects on Visit to Israel

A guest contribution from Don Villar at the Chicago Federation of Labor I had only gotten a few hours of sleep when I was suddenly wide awake. My watch said it was 4:00 a.m. Friday, December 9. I was physically exhausted, but apparently not enough to fall back to sleep. Since arriving in Israel as […]

Labor Pilgrimage Brings Seminarians Face-to-Face with Worker Struggles

In late October, the Catholic Labor Network and interfaith labor solidarity organization Arise Chicago teamed up to lead a “labor pilgrimage” in Chicago for a group of seminarians from Mundelein Seminary and the Catholic Theological Union. After a review of the roots of Catholic Social Teaching on labor and work, participants visited the Haymarket Memorial […]

DC Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Moves Toward Passage

DC Council votes unanimously for new law; second vote pending The Washington DC Office of Human Rights is charged with preventing discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. But did you know that it has no power to protect domestic workers – nannies, housekeepers and others who work in the home? That may be about […]

“Catholic Social Teach-In” at Loyola New Orleans

Connecting Catholic Social Teaching and Labor Relations on Campus On November 17, UNITE HERE Local 23, the Catholic Labor Network, and student activists at Loyola New Orleans hosted a “Catholic Social Teach-In” attended by more than 100 students, faculty and dining hall workers. It was an opportunity for students and workers to connect and reflect […]

Delta Flight Attendants Launch National Organizing Campaign

The airlines are one of the most unionized economic sectors in the United States. Whether you are boarding a United, American or Southwest flight, you can expect that the workers you encounter have the protection of a union contract – whether they are pilots, mechanics, flight attendants or ramp workers. Then there’s Delta. The airline […]