MADISON – Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, president of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, issued a statement Feb. 16 to members of the state Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance outlining church teaching on rights of workers.The Compass
The statement was issued as hours before the Legislature's budget committee was to vote on a bill to strip public workers of most of their union rights.
Below is the entire text of Archbishop Listecki's letter.
The Church is well aware that difficult economic times call for hard choices and financial responsibility to further the common good. Our own dioceses and parishes have not been immune to the effects of the current economic difficulties. But hard times do not nullify the moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers. As Pope Benedict wrote in his 2009 encyclical, Caritas in veritate:
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 [60], 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. [#25]
It does not follow from this that every claim made by workers or their representatives is valid. Every union, like every other economic actor, is called to work for the common good, to make sacrifices when required, and to adjust to new economic realities.
However, it is equally a mistake to marginalize or dismiss unions as impediments to economic growth. As Pope John Paul II wrote in 1981, "[a] union remains a constructive factor of social order and solidarity, and it is impossible to ignore it." (Laborem exercens #20, emphasis in original)
It is especially in times of crisis that "new forms of cooperation" and open communication become essential. We request that lawmakers carefully consider the implications of this proposal and evaluate it in terms of its impact on the common good. We also appeal to everyone – lawmakers, citizens, workers, and labor unions – to move beyond divisive words and actions and work together, so that Wisconsin can recover in a humane way from the current fiscal crisis.
Archbishop Listecki outlines church teaching on rights of workers
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7 comments:
Does the BC have any thoughts on the Church's role in organized unions? The use for unions in 2011 US is different than 1911 US, or 2011 China.
Someone wants to know what I think!!
I think the WCC is very eager to promote social teachings of the Church as long as it doesn't pertain to human sexuality or pro-life issues.
Well, if you are asking what I think of the organized unions that are headlining right now, I don't know a whole lot about them. I haven't even had time to follow almost anything about Walkers cuts. I would be for him just cutting positions instead of cutting benefits. But I suppose that looks bad. On school unions(since teachers unions are notoriously opinionated about their own self worth), the main problem is that public school employees should be funded directly from the local taxpayer and be negotiating directly with the local taxpayers. If there are standards that need to be met as an employee they should be determined by the local taxpayer. Bureaucracy in DC or Madison has sterilized the taxpayer/public employee relationship.
Is organized labor any different from organized crime (mafia)? Philosophically speaking, not as far as some of the tactics used, that's not the issue... do the rights of the worker supercede all else?
It would be one thing if State/Public workers were subject to abusive management. Organizing to prevent abuse is a moral imperative.
But that's not a problem in Wisconsin (at least, it's not reported as a problem.)
So the Abp's quotation of 1900 social encyclicals is nice, but not germane.
Anon, what some schools do in name of "education" should be considered criminal....
Dad29, agreed. If your just fence sitting why say anything, unless you're trying to just appear relevant.
People will complain if the Church says nothing. People will complain if the Church says something.
I thought the WCC statement was a nice, simple reminder that we need to think about this from these angles. Unlike when they get involved with pro-life or sexuality issues, as you mention, BC, they don't often on social justice issues come down on one side to say "this is right."
Gotta love, though, how the MSM will take these sort of comments and say "State's top Catholic backs unions" (Capitol Times). Um...try reading a little more thoroughly there, Mike and editor, et al.
Right Kat, I should state there's nothing wrong with the statement, he's right, but it's to be expected that folks will now interpret it to their advantage with the climate out there. Maybe some good comes out of it, and I'll be wrong. But if it can be used as a club by unions to not cut back like everybody else is these days, I think that's a loss for the home team.
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