Today, we observe Labor Day. This national holiday is “dedicated
to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a
yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength,
prosperity, and well-being of our country.”[i]
In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we have long supported
the rights of workers to organize, to share in workplace decisions and
productivity growth, to seek protections from dangerous working conditions, and
to gain time and benefits to enable full family life.[ii]
Today we give thanks for workers and for vocation, which is a gift from God.
But the state of today’s economy does not serve all workers.
According to a new
paper published by the Economic Policy Institute:
“Comparing the first half of 2014
with the first half of 2007 (the last period of reasonable labor market health
before the Great Recession), hourly wages for the vast majority of American
workers have been flat or falling. And even since 1979, the vast majority of
American workers have seen their hourly wages stagnate or decline—even though
decades of consistent gains in economy-wide productivity have provided ample
room for wage growth.
“The poor performance of American
workers’ wages in recent decades—particularly their failure to grow at anywhere
near the pace of overall productivity—is the country’s central economic
challenge. Indeed, it’s hard to think of a more important economic development
in recent decades. It is at the root of the large rise in overall income
inequality that has attracted so much attention in recent years. A range of
other economic challenges—reducing poverty, increasing mobility, and spurring a
more complete recovery from the Great Recession—also rely largely on boosting
hourly wage growth for the vast majority.[iii]
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| J. Herbert Nelson walks with Clergy Partners and Workers. |
We must take proactive steps to improve jobs and wages, and to
reduce inequality in this nation. This year, the Office of Public Witness has
been working closely with partners at Interfaith
Worker Justice and Good Jobs Nation.
At a July 29 joint action of striking workers and religious leaders, Director
for Public Witness, J. Herbert Nelson said,
“In the church, we believe in the
inherent dignity of work and that God has called each of us to a vocation.
Workers have a right to be compensated for their work with a fair wage that
provides a living. One of the best ways to improve jobs is to give workers the
leverage to organize for better pay, working conditions, and benefits. We
have allowed greed to perpetuate a class of working poor in this country, even
though there is easily enough for everyone to have what we each need. Worker
pay has stagnated while productivity and wealth have skyrocketed. This is our
shared failure and it is a sin.[iv]
There are many steps we must take to reverse the widening
economic divide in our country, but one of the first could be to raise the minimum
wage above the poverty level.
Write
to your members of Congress and tell them to raise the minimum wage.
Read J. Herbert Nelson’s reflection on Work,
Worth and Value,[v]
published this summer shortly after his arrest in an act of solidarity and
nonviolent civil disobedience. Read more
about the Office of Public Witness’ work on jobs and labor justice on our blog.
Celebrate Labor Day with us by speaking out for decent jobs
and good wages. A job should keep you out of poverty, not trap you in it.
[ii] This
characterization of PC(USA) support for workers’ right to unionize is excerpted
from the Social
Creed for the 21st Century, approved by the 218th General Assembly (2008)
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
[iii] “Why
America’s Workers Need Faster Wage Growth—And What We Can Do About It,” by
Elise Gould; Economic Policy Institute. Aug. 27, 2014. http://www.epi.org/publication/why-americas-workers-need-faster-wage-growth
[iv] “Federal
Jobs Lead the Marketplace,” Office of Public Witness blog; July 29, 2014; http://officeofpublicwitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/federal-jobs-lead-marketplace.html
[v]
“Work, Worth and Value: a Reflection on Work by J. Herbert Nelson,” Advocacy as Discipleship, a publication
of the Office of Public Witness; Office of Public Witness blog; July 30, 2014; http://officeofpublicwitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/work-worth-and-value.html
