A Catholic-Labor Revival?
Unions in the Francis Era
John Gehring
September 1, 2016 - 2:23pm
At a time when unions try creative ways to reach a new generation and labor rights are rolled back in states that were once bulwarks of industrial might, it’s worth reflecting on what contributions Catholic institutions are making (or not) to defend the dignity of work and fight for living wages. There are both hopeful and discouraging signs.
In a major speech to the Chicago Federation of Labor at Plumbers Union Hall last September, Archbishop Blase Cupich gave one of the most impassioned arguments a Catholic leader has delivered in recent decades for why the church and labor should build on their rich history together. Refreshingly, he didn’t speak in abstractions or timidly dance around thorny political realities. The archbishop directly criticized so-called “right-to-work” laws, arguing that the church is “duty bound to challenge such efforts by raising questions based on longstanding principles.” He clarified that the church has “never made a distinction between private and public sectors,” a crucial point given that public sector unions are frequent targets of conservative political leaders backed by wealthy antagonists like the billionaire Koch brothers. Cupich also used an effective and evocative phrase—“a consistent ethic of solidarity”—to situate the church’s historic support for the rights of workers within a broader moral framework:
The archbishop wasn’t just paying lip service to labor rights. The Chicago archdiocese, which employs 15,000 full and part time workers, honors picket lines and encourages priests to support the labor movement. Rev. Clete Kiley, a Chicago priest who works for the union UNITE HERE in Washington, is building a national network of “labor priests” that draws inspiration from the past when clergy like Msgr. George Higgins were at the forefront of labor struggles. Archbishop Cupich also recently made national headlines for instituting a new policy that gives twelve weeks of paid parental leave to its employees.
Beyond Chicago, there are other reasons to cheer what appears to be a revival of the Catholic-labor relationship; those ties had become frayed in recent decades as the hierarchy became increasingly suspicious of collaborating with any organizations that didn’t share the church’s views on abortion, contraception, and marriage. I’ve written a detailed report about how these tensions, stoked by zealous Catholic activists on the right who appoint themselves watchdogs of Catholic identity, have impacted the essential work of the U.S. bishops’ national anti-poverty campaign. These tensions surely still exist, but Pope Francis has opened up new space for a less hunkered-down church that encounters rather than excludes. There are tangible signs of this fresh spirit.
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-labor-revival