Labor in the Pulpits, sponsored by the National
Interfaith Committee for Workers’ Justice and the AFL-CIO each Labor Day weekend, highlights the many ways in which faith, work and the union movement are intertwined in bringing forth a
new vision for justice in our communities. The program places union members as guest speakers in congregations to speak out about their faith, work and the union movement. In
1999, union speakers addressed an estimated 100,000 worshippers at more than 600 services in 450 congregations in 38 states and more than 80 cities.
Congregations learned about the connections between faith and work as new friendships were inspired between the religious community and unions. At the
same time, congregations were presented with opportunities for acting on the social teachings of their faith and union leaders and members gained a deeper understanding of their faith in action.
National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice is a network of people of faith that calls upon our religious values in order to educate, organize and mobilize the religious community in the United States on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits and working conditions for workers, especially low-wage workers.
Things You Can Do To Build Religion-Labor Parternships
by Kim Bobois founder and executive director of the National Interfaith Committee
for Worker Justice, 1200 West Bryn Mawr, Chicago, Illinois, 60660 773-7328-8400. She also directs the children’s choir at Good News Community Church
hopes to be a place for those Catholics, lay, religious and clergy, who are active in
their churches and in unions to learn about their Church's teachings as regards to labor issues, pray for those who are working for economic justice
and share information about events and struggles that may be taking place in their area. For over one hundred years, the Catholic Church has
been a voice of support for workers, and a conscience to the body politic when it pondered issues dealing with the distribution of wealth and the
condition of workers.
