Virginia Airport Workers Seek Paid Sick Days

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Window on National Campaign to Raise Standards for Airport Employees

Thousands of airport employees in Northern Virginia, ranging from wheelchair attendants to aircraft cabin cleaners, lack paid sick days and regularly must work ill or injured. The Catholic Labor Network met some of those workers recently at a meeting organized by SEIU 32BJ, which represents many of the affected workers, and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP).

The workers from Dulles International Airport and Washington National Airport – many of whom are immigrants from Africa or Latin America – are calling on the airports authority to implement a paid sick leave policy covering contractors employed at the airport.

During the meeting, several workers testified to the problems created by the absence of paid sick days. One worker, a baggage encoder, explained, “I have a condition of gout, and sometimes it will flare up. I will try to ride it out [at work] because it is more painful to lose the pay.” Other workers spoke of returning to work too quickly after major surgery, to avoid missing a paycheck and possibly getting fired.

The local campaign is part of a national effort to boost wages, benefits and working conditions for airport workers. Usually employed by contractors, the security guards, skycaps, cabin cleaners, and others who keep an airport running are too often underpaid and undervalued. Many have organized with the SEIU.

The Catholic Labor Network will be working with the union and VICPP to urge the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to adopt a mandatory paid sick leave policy for contractors at the two airports.

Study: Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers “Most Overlooked” Element of Catholic Social Teaching

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We’ve often heard it said that Catholic Social Teaching is the Church’s best-kept secret. The Church’s social doctrine offers a radical critique of today’s institutions that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has broken into seven major themes, such as “Life and Dignity of the Human Person” and “Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.”

Recently our partners in the Roundtable Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors commissioned a study by Dr. Tom Ryan of Loyola New Orleans that assessed awareness and reception of Catholic Social Teaching among the faithful. Dr. Ryan shared some of the key findings at the Roundtable’s recent Social Action Summer Institute.

As part of the study, this year more than 800 Catholics in the Archdiocese of New Orleans – from priests and parish social ministry leaders to people in the pews – answered a series of survey questions on the topic. One question presented readers with a list of the themes of Catholic Social Teaching and asked them to identify the themes “most overlooked in the Church today.”

The number one answer? The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers.

This does not come as a complete surprise to me. Even though modern Catholic Social Teaching began with an encyclical addressing the dignity of work and the rights of workers (Rerum Novarum, 1891), the topic has long been eclipsed by others. In the U.S. Church, we’ve been very good at affirming the life and dignity of the human person, and pretty good at sharing the option for the poor and vulnerable, but I seldom hear a sermon on the dignity of work and the rights of workers. It’s not something I learned about in religious education, either.

We have a lot of work to do.

The study project, “Advancing the Social Mission of the Catholic Church,” was made possible through support from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Publication of the full study is forthcoming.

Working Catholic: Social Doctrine

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The Working Catholic: Social Doctrine Part Eight
by Bill Droel

Always do for others what they cannot do for themselves. That’s the rule of charity. Never do for others what they can do for themselves. That’s the rule of freedom. The Catholic principle of subsidiarity maintains the tension between the two. It guides the interplay of functions. It prevents charity from becoming disabling help and prevents freedom from becoming selfishness or libertarianism. Both extremes violate both charity and justice.
The parents of Siddhartha Gautama, for whatever reason, were overly protective. He eventually left home in search of what he called the middle way. The careless parents of recent mass murderers were overly permissive. The father of the Prodigal Son erred in both directions. He was first too protective of his son and then, when the son wanted an early inheritance, the father permitted too much freedom.
In Catholic social thought subsidiarity is usually invoked in the context of governmental responsibility and economic systems. The current picture in our country has ragged individuals at one end and big government plus big business at the other end. If something goes wrong with an internet or TV connection, it is a frustrated individual trying to reach an impersonal media company. If poverty overwhelms a family, a seemingly helpful array of social programs possibly debilitates that family further.

Despite some gestures and language to the contrary, Republicans and Democrats (with an occasional exception) include only individuals, government and business in their worldview. The operative philosophy and economic model of both political parties neglects those institutions that stand between the ragged individual and big forces—first the family, then associations like a parish, a union, an ethnic club, a veterans’ group, a community organization and more. Because these mediating institutions are not in the picture, the local groups have grown weak in recent decades.
Oliver Zunz has written a biography of Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859), The Man Who Understood Democracy (Princeton Press, 2022). James Madison (1751-1836) “talked only about factions,” Zunz says in an interview. He “feared them and sought ways of limiting their impact on government.” Madison favored a strong central government. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), on the other hand, was a pioneer in creating civil society, the realm for volunteer fire departments, local post offices, clubs and other mediating institutions. De Tocqueville, Zunz says, found the United States to be unique in its dependence upon people’s institutions. However, de Tocqueville warned that our individualistic spirit could outpace our community spirit, resulting in a polarized society.
Sometimes subsidiarity is rendered small is beautiful. It does not mean, however, that government governs best which governs least. Subsidiarity insists that government step in, but not in a manner that creates dependence. Whenever possible and always to the degree that is possible, government assistance should be delivered closest to those affected, delivered through local institutions. Ideally, business should act responsibly. A particular business and an industry should operate justly–first toward its employees and then toward its customers and suppliers and then its other stakeholders. When business exploits employees, gauges customers, pollutes the environment and in other ways operates selfishly, government has a duty to regulate and punish.
Perhaps subsidiarity is better rendered no bigger than necessary. It desires the formation of ragged individuals into community-minded citizens. It protects an embedded person’s responsible freedom by buffering those big entities that can smother a person. To be continued…

Droel edits a printed newsletter on faith and work, INITIATIVES (PO Box 291102, Chicago, IL 60629).

Prayers of the Faithful for Labor Day Weekend Masses

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Planning your Mass for Labor Day weekend? Consider these prayers of the faithful found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ web page of Labor Day Resources.

  1. We pray for a renewal of spirit for the men and women who must work in jobs that ignore the dignity of their personhood. We pray to the Lord.
  2. We pray for the men and women who are not able to find jobs. We pray for their continued perseverance and determination as they continue to seek ways in which to participate in God’s creative work. We pray to the Lord.
  3. We pray for all essential workers who work in the agricultural, manufacturing, and public service sectors. That they are provided safe working conditions and access to affordable healthcare. We pray to the Lord.
  4. We pray for the men and women who have recently lost employment. We pray for their continued perseverance and determination as they continue to seek ways in which to participate in God’s creative work. We pray to the Lord.
  5. We pray for the men and women who own companies, who lead companies, and who make decisions regarding safe work conditions and adequate wages. We pray that these leaders will act in the best interests of their laborers. We pray to the Lord.
  6. We pray for union leaders, national and local, who are responsible for speaking for workers. May they be guided by the grace and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to be servant leaders. We pray to the Lord.
  7. We pray for men, women, and children who experience a lack of solidarity and support in their daily struggle to survive. May we be aware of our responsibility to listen to the needs of our brothers and sisters in the world. We pray to the Lord.
  8. We pray that as we are reminded that it is right and just to receive a fair wage for work, we may strive to promote dignity and respect for all in the workplace. We pray to the Lord.
  9. We pray for those who have lost their lives while working, and especially those who died from COVID-19, that they might be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom; and for their families, that they might be comforted and find security. We pray to the Lord.

Catholic HS Students Get Jump on Apprenticeship

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Parishes that choose an electrical upgrade or a solar installation by PRO Lighting & Solar may find themselves putting a parishioner to work. That’s because of a unique partnership between an area Catholic high school and IBEW Local 212. High school students at Cincinnati’s Elder High School have an opportunity to get a jump on a career as a union electrician by taking a course at the union’s nearby training center. Participants who take the elective visit the union’s apprenticeship and training center two days per week.

While many Catholic high schools focus exclusively on college placements, Elder appreciates that a construction apprenticeship can also be a promising career path. Union electricians can earn $30, $40, $50 or more per hour, depending on the region of the country they live – a salary competitive with many white-collar jobs. Most IBEW members (and other union construction workers) also enjoy fully employer-paid family health insurance as well as a defined-benefit pension, both increasingly rare in other segments of the economy. And many eventually go on to start their own companies.

Union apprenticeship programs are supervised by a joint committee of union representatives and contractors who employ them. “Half the JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) are graduates from Elder High School,” says Training Director Charlie Kenser. “A lot of our members are Elder grads.”

St Monica-St George Parish Installs Solar Panels Using Union Labor

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Inspired by Laudato Si, a growing number of Catholic parishes are reducing their use of fossil fuels by investing in energy efficiency and sometimes installing solar panels to meet their energy needs. That’s important, but in a construction industry marked by widespread wage theft and high workplace injury rates, what are they doing to make sure that the men and women performing that labor are being treated justly? Some are ensuring that workers on these projects are protected by a union contract.

That was the case at St. Monica/St. George, a parish located at the University of Cincinnati. When the care for creation team at the Parish started exploring their options for a solar conversion, the Archdiocesan facilities office connected them with PRO Lighting & Solar Read more

Senate Cafeteria Workers in Civil Disobedience Action

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On Wednesday July 20 the cooks, cashiers and dishwashers who staff the Senate cafeteria escalated their fight for fair wages and working conditions with a civil disobedience action in front of the Senate’s Dirksen office building. After a rally, 17 workers and supporters were arrested for blocking traffic as they called on the Senators to ensure living wages and affordable health care for cafeteria employees.

Speakers at the rally included US Senators, Representatives and Fr. Brian Jordan, OFM, a labor priest and pastor of St. Camillus in nearby Silver Spring. Workers at the cafeteria, operated under contract by vendor Restaurant Associates, formed a union last year under a “card check” process validated by Fr. Martin Burnham.

The workers have negotiated a tentative contract with Restaurant Associates, but the Senate must take action to make sure the cafeteria is funded sufficiently to pay the promised wages and benefits. Operations at the capitol are supervised by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, chaired by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Catholic Labor Network members have met with Senator Klobuchar’s staff about the situation but it remains unresolved.

“I was really moved by the dedication and perseverance of all the cafeteria workers and participants at the rally outside the US Senate Dirksen building,” said Fr. Jordan. “I am outraged that these US senators who are guaranteed a just wage, health care benefits and a pension plan–cannot force the food company Restaurant Associates to immediately provide a sound contract with benefits.  Where is the collective moral conscience of these US senators?”

CLICK HERE to send a letter to your Senators calling for just wages and benefits for the Senate cafeteria workers!

Broad Interfaith Support for the PRO Act

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Will it Get a Senate Vote?

Our labor laws no longer effectively protect workers who want to form a union. Employers have learned that the penalties for retaliating against workers seeking to exercise their legal right to organize are minor, so firing the ringleaders of any union campaign can be a good investment. And even when workers successfully navigate the hostile landscape and form a union today, half of employers refuse to bargain in good faith to reach a first contract.

The Protecting the Right to Organize or PRO Act would address these obstacles and has passed the House of Representatives. The AFL-CIO is pushing hard for a vote in the Senate.

The Catholic Labor Network, of course, supports the PRO Act. Our perspective is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, which has recognized the right of workers to organize since 1891 and Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical Rerum Novarum. And we take note of Pope Benedict XVI’s words in Caritas in Veritate: “Traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church’s social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum [60], for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honoured today even more than in the past.”

What does the wider faith community have to say about this? It turns out, the right of workers to organize is recognized across many faith traditions, and support for the PRO Act is substantial. The Catholic Labor Network recently hosted an interfaith webinar where speakers representing a variety of faith traditions and organizations affirmed their support for worker justice and for this important legislation. Speakers represented national Catholic organizations such as NETWORK and the Franciscan Action Network; Protestant denominations, including the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, and the Society of Friends; as well as Muslim and Jewish organizations. While each tradition brought a unique theological perspective, all shared a commitment to worker rights and a desire to see the PRO Act pass.

CLICK HERE to view a videorecording of the webinar on the Catholic Labor Network’s YouTube Channel.

Promoting a Living Wage in Music City

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When Pope Leo XIII issued his Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum in 1891, he contended that according to the natural law, every worker was entitled to a living wage. In a growing number of communities around the United States, activists have launched living wage certification programs for employers – programs that inform consumers which firms have committed to pay a living wage to their employees. The Catholic Labor Network has helped launch such a program in Nashville TN.

Nashville Living Wage (NLW) is a regional, membership-based organization in Nashville, TN, whose mission is to educate the community on the importance and urgency of a more just minimum wage and raise the wages of workers in Davidson County to a living wage ($17.40/hour, roughly $35,000 per year for a full-time worker) by organizing workers and certifying qualified businesses through a voluntary certification program.  The living wage rate is the “survival wage” for a single adult without dependents, according to the 2020 United Way ALICE Report, which is updated every two years. NLW envisions Nashville as a livable community where all workers can not only survive, but prosper.

Nashville Living Wage grew out of a coalition-based “Nashville Rising Forum” in April 2019, focused on “Work, Wages, and the Future of Nashville”.  The NLW Board and Advisory Committee includes employers, activists, restaurant workers, immigrants, refugees, non-profit leaders, the union/labor community, and those with legal and production/design expertise. Aimee Shelide Mayer, a Nashville Representative of the Catholic Labor Network, chairs the Board and handles much of the day-to-day work until funding is secured for a paid coordinator who will handle outreach to workers, employers, and community partners and process applications for certification.

To date, NLW has certified nearly a dozen employers from both corporate and non-profit sectors, with a goal of certifying 40 employers by Labor Day 2022. Once an employer is certified, they become part of a living wage directory and receive related resources, including a “living wage employer” seal and education materials for their business patrons & employees.  A vibrant social media campaign will bring the voice of workers to the forefront on discussions about living wages, and introduce the community to an online directory of certified businesses who are upholding a “more just minimum wage” by being certified.  NLW benefits the community by strengthening the local economy, challenging employers to increase wages, educating workers on living wage standards, producing a directory of living wage employers, and engaging consumers in their ethical purchasing decisions.

NLW addresses the inadequate minimum wage rate (currently $7.25 in Tennessee, less than $15,000 per year for a full-time worker) and provides an alternative approach to raising wages than local legislation, which has been preempted at the state level in the past.  By creating a living wage certification program, NLW brings the conversation about wages and economic equity into a more prominent place in the public arena.

The Nashville community is known for its philanthropy and friendly hospitality.  Building on the strengths of what makes Nashville “great,” NLW partners with groups centered on social, economic, and worker justice to elevate business standards by raising the wage floor.  NLW mobilizes and advocates for a just economy in which workers are paid equitably, employers are innovative and successful, and the entire community thrives as a result.

Report from the “Moral March on Washington”

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Poor People’s Campaign Brings out Faith, Labor Activists for Economic Justice

Have you heard of the Poor People’s Campaign? Back in 1968, Martin Luther King had a vision of poor people organizing across racial lines to transform American society. Fifty years later, that vision was picked up by leaders such as Rev. William Barber of North Carolina, who aspire to mobilize 140 million poor people and low-income workers around an agenda anchored in economic justice. As part of the campaign, on Saturday June 20 thousands rallied near the U.S. Capital to call for a “third reconstruction.” Labor and faith organizations were strongly represented in the effort.

Most of the speakers at the six-hour rally were grassroots leaders and activists, low-income workers and poor people testifying to their personal stories. These ranged from residents of Louisiana’s “cancer alley,” where industrial emissions of toxic waste threaten public health, to workers employed at Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks who were fighting for a union and a living wage.

Among unions, the SEIU had a high profile, with busloads of members traveling from New York, Ohio and Florida to participate in the rally. “We’re here for the workers, for us – for a living wage,” explained SEIU 199 member Tommy Smith (pictured). “We aren’t getting what we deserve. The fat cats are.” Members of the IAM, UNITE HERE, and other unions were also in evidence.

Several Catholic organizations began the day with a short prayer service organized by the Franciscan Action Network in front of St. Patrick’s Church in downtown DC. These included Pax Christi and a large delegation of sisters from the Loretto community, among others. After the prayer service, the groups walked out in formation to join the March.

Other Catholic activists were already at the rally site, including Fr. Ty Hullinger of the Maryland Catholic Labor Network, who took a bus with the United Workers Association of Baltimore. “It is important for us as Catholics to show up and be part of these movements,” Hullinger explained.

In addition to grassroots activists, the rally also heard from a few labor leaders, including SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. “Poverty is a failure of the system, not poor people,” Redmond observed.