Reverend
J. Herbert Nelson Joins Workers and Faith Leaders in Demanding Better Jobs for
Low-Wage Workers
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| J. Herbert Nelson addresses the crowd of striking workers and religious advocates. We live in a world of abundance! Photo Credit: Good Jobs Nation |
On Tuesday, July 29, 2014,
The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Director for
Public Witness, joined with workers and other leaders in the faith community,
including Presbyterian minister Michael Livingston of Interfaith Worker Justice
and Reverend Sèkinah Hamlin of the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative (formerly NCC
Poverty Initiative), in an action of nonviolent civil disobedience to urge
President Obama to improve jobs for millions of workers. Together, workers and
faith leaders asked the President to sign a Good Jobs Executive Order that
require federal contractors to bargain collectively with their employees, pay
living wages and benefits, stop wage theft, and limit excessive CEO pay.
Of his commitment to get
arrested as part of the nonviolent action, Rev. 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.”
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| Nelson walks with partner clergy at the head of the march of striking workers. |
The action focused on our
shared conviction that God has provided enough for everyone. Rev. Nelson and
other faith leaders, together with workers, surrounded a common table with
shared bread for all. Clergy and workers then shared the bread among the crowd.
Nelson concluded, “We believe God has provided enough, and workers’ wages and
compensation should reflect that reality. We need executive action from the
White House that will set a federal precedent in the marketplace to strengthen
jobs, workers, and their families. A job
should keep you out of poverty, not trap you in it.”
This action follows up on
the interreligious community’s successful campaign work with Good Jobs
Nation that urged the President to
sign an executive order requiring a minimum wage of $10.10 per hour for workers
under new federal contracts. In February 2014, President Obama signed the
$10.10 executive order, which is a good start to restoring the quality of jobs
in the U.S., but it is only enough to bring a family of four just above the
poverty line. Workers need living wages to support their families and the
leverage to bargain collectively for fair pay and working conditions. With the stroke of a pen, the President
can ensure that all federal contract workers receive fair and just
compensation.
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| Workers' Children Join the Strike |
Of the action, the Rev. J.
Herbert Nelson said, “In our capitalist
society, payday is always a good day. There is a sense of pride in earning a
living and having the means to build a better life. For those of us who take a paycheck for granted, let us be reminded and
in solidarity with those persons who, after receiving their paychecks, still
cannot meet their basic needs, including food, housing, health and child care,
much less a family outing for dinner or a Friday-night movie. Let us not forget
the father or mother in despair, because there is never enough to make ends
meet, even after working multiple jobs or overtime.”
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| President Obama signs "Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order" |
Two days later, President Obama signed a
new executive order (EO), the “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order,”
which requires companies bidding for federal contracts to disclose their recent
compliance with labor and employment laws and instructs federal agencies to
consider this compliance, or lack thereof, in the process of awarding federal contracts. One in five U.S. workers is employed by a
firm that receives at least one federal contract, so this will have strong and
rippling effects throughout the labor market, not just for those workers
directly employed through government contracts.
As the President noted in his speech before the signing,
taxpayer dollars should provide good jobs with decent wages and safe working
conditions.
Of the
President’s Executive Order, Rev. Nelson said, “the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) is pleased that the President is
addressing this issue. It is good for workers, for law-abiding employers, and
for U.S. taxpayers. The OPW has been advocating for greater enforcement of existing labor
law for some time and only two days ago, I risked arrest in order to move the
President to take actions such as this one. I rejoice that the President is hearing the voice of Presbyterian
public witness and other partners in the faith community.”
