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Papal Encyclical: Workers’ Rights to Form Unions Must Be Honored |
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In a new encyclical released yesterday by Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the Catholic Church discusses the challenges of a global economy. He notes that workers’ ability to form a union and bargain is at risk and makes it clear it’s a matter of moral imperative to preserve that freedom.
Here’s what the pope has to say on the need for workers to have the freedom to form unions:
Through the combination of social and economic change, trade union organizations experience greater difficulty in carrying out their task of representing the interests of workers, partly because Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labor unions. Hence 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, for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past, as a prompt and far-sighted response to the urgent need for new forms of cooperation at the international level, as well as the local level.
The Vatican and a wide variety of Catholic leaders have continued to express support throughout the year for workers’ freedom to form unions, and many Catholic scholars and organizations like the Catholic Labor Network and Catholics for Working Families have come out in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.
Here’s what AFL-CIO President John Sweeney had to say:
The new encyclical offers a much-needed reminder that to create an economy that works for everyone it is critical to protect workers’ fundamental right to join together as a union and bargain for a better future. As the Pope makes clear, it is not only working people, but also entire communities–nations even–that stand to benefit when workers exercise this right. In the document, the Pope reaffirms the Church’s longstanding position that labor unions play a vital role in efforts to build a more just economy—one in which even the most marginalized workers are guaranteed basic dignity and respect.
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Let’s hear it for the Pope! Is this a sign that the Church is coming-out of its funk? Perhaps now the Church will vigorously protest wars, support health care for all and contraception to limit unwanted child birth.
Since I am not Catholic, the pope’s word doesn’t mean so much to me in a spiritual way. However, as an individual who believes in freedom of opportunity and who believes unions are a tremendous benefit in advancing freedom of opportunity, I welcome the words of anyone who agrees that we need unions and unions need to be allowed to organize in order to advance the opportunity of all - workers as well as owners.
An important part of everyone’s life is an honest search for some higher power to believe in. All of us can find that higher power in the ideals, purpose, and aspirations of the Organized Labor movement. The concept and principles of Organized Labor, just as all religions, transcends, time, cultures and language. Organized Labor is an effort and an affirmation of all the good that exists within us. A Unionist lives an active determined life, working unselfishly for the betterment of all workers, especially Union members.
If the ethereal Gods have abandoned us, if we have fallen too far from the heavens, if there was never a real crack in the universe for us to escape, we must become our own Gods, determined Gods creating in this, our earth, our lives, our evolving heaven.
There is an openness and a confidence that is bestowed upon one who believes in and defends the undeniable, inherent, spiritual good of Organized Labor. Believers in the strengthening and the evolution of society are compassionate to all people who support the Brotherhoods, Guilds, Associations, of free, independent Unions, either as employers or employees, individuals when acting as capital or as labor when representing the best interests of the objects and material that make up the spiritual miracle of Organized Labor.
All active members of organized labor; believers in Organized Labor and the supporters thereof, are perhaps the new missionaries of a modern vision of hope. Perhaps, even unknowingly, the words of the Gods are already tattooed upon our tongues…
I find it interesting that in such South American countries as Colombia and Guatemala that have a 95% Catholic population (and leaders that are Catholic) that they are the #1 and #2 countries in the world for murders of union members. The countries also have some of the most unequal distributions of income in the world as well as massive corruption. Guess when it comes to money, religion and human rights take a back seat there. That is something our congress should think about when considering such things as the FTA with Colombia.
Indeed. Let’s see if the Pope really does stand by his message. It is one thing to endorse the ability of workers’ to defend their rights and acknowledge the need for reforms at the international and local levels, but let’s see if he can actually affect some of these endorsements and changes. Goodness knows it will not be for the lack of funds! I will give him the benefit of the doubt and wait and see.
As a Catholic, I have disagreed with Pope Benedict on several issues. But, I welcome his support for workers and their right to unionize. God bless him for showing wisdom and courage in this area. All unionists, Catholic or not, should appreciate this gesture. I thank him for standing up for workers.