Action Alert-- Faithful Budget

The Faithful Way Forward: 2016 Budget 
 

Last month, The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness worked with other faith partners to offer a briefing for Congress on the "Faithful Budget," a document written by the faith community about our nation's financial priorities. The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson joined with Sister Simone Campbell, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, and Maggie Siddiqi in calling for a budget that prioritizes people and livelihood, not corporate profit or greed. This included calling for—

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Sr. Simone Campbell, Maggie Siddiqi,
and the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson

• Preservation of the social safety net, essential programs serving the most vulnerable people
• Investment in health care, access to which is essential to the shalom and wellbeing of all people
• A serious look at our spending priorities when comparing over-investment in the mechanisms of war and underinvestment in human capital
• A progressive tax code that not only brings in enough revenue to pay for what is most important, but also reduces inequality by making sure that all people have enough – not too much and not too little

Download the complete briefing packet here.

In April, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have passed budgets that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, turn Medicaid into a block grant, and cut billions of dollars from nutrition and education programs, all while increasing spending on overseas wars and cutting taxes for the wealthiest.

Please email your members of Congress this week. Ask them to create a budget that is aligned with the Faithful Budget and cares for the needs of all of all people, not just the wealthy few.

In preparation for the briefing, J. Herbert Nelson wrote:

“As a follower of Christianity, I believed that ‘to whom much is given, much will be required.’ God’s justice insists that those who have much must contribute to the good of all. Indeed, God’s vision of shalom wants a society in which each of us has enough -- not too much and not too little. We are living in a new Gilded Age where the gap between rich and poor grows ever deeper. Today’s worship of money and things is nothing less than idolatry and justice requires us to change if we are gong to live up to God’s radical vision for us. Responsible taxation in a linchpin of a democratic society and from a Christian perspective, greater tax justice is necessary and a key response to rising inequality.”

Read all of J. Herbert Nelson’s remarks on tax justice and the Faithful Budget.

View J. Herbert’s remarks on YouTube.

The Faithful Budget principles are available here.

Urge Your Representatives to Pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act

Many U.S. workers have come to rely on and expect an annual wage increase from their employers. Indeed, the practice of annual cost of living increases and raises came into standard practice in the heyday of labor unions when the collective bargaining power of workers ensured that the increased productivity of the company was shared with all its employees, not just those at the top.  And yet, today marks the fifth anniversary since the last time the United States government raised the minimum wage. For tipped workers, the wait has been even longer, as the tipped worker minimum wage has stagnated at $2.13 per hour since 1991.

Click here to write to your Members of Congress in support of a raise for low-wage workers.

Low-wage workers have gone five long years without a raise, even while there have been positive signs of economic growth -- GDP has surpassed pre-recession levels and the unemployment rate has reached the lowest level since before the recession. But while the economy is improving, low-wage workers still feel like we’re in a recession. As the economy has improved, better-paying jobs have been replaced by lower-wage jobs, meaning that highly qualified workers are taking jobs out of their field and below their skills and/or education levels. The U.S. labor force participation rate is at its lowest since 1978 (meaning that the unemployment rate is going down, in part, because workers are despairing, giving up their job searches, and leaving the labor market), the median income is at its lowest since 1998, and income and wealth inequality are growing. All of these problems are economic drags on the economy.

 Living wages that allow workers to support themselves and their families are crucial to closing the widening gaps in our economy, and a minimum wage above poverty level for a family is a great place to start. It is time for Congress to lift minimum and low-wage workers out of poverty by raising the minimum wage above a poverty wage. A job should keep you out of poverty, not trap you in it.

Currently, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010/H.S. 1737) will raise of the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and will lift a family of four just above the federal poverty measure. While this increase still is not high enough to ensure a living wage, it is an important step in the right direction. The bill also raises the minimum wage for tipped workers and indexes the minimum wage for inflation; ensuring low-wage workers too will come to receive the same annual cost of living increase as so many others in the economy. A recent study cited by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) shows that had the minimum wage kept pace with economic productivity, it would now be about $22 per hour. This is one reason income inequality has been growing so precipitously and it shows how much more work we have to do in demanding justice for the worker. 

Write to your member of Congress and call for a minimum wage increase: HERE

The Department of Labor estimates that a total of 28 million workers would benefit if the minimum wage were raised to $10.10. In earning higher wages, 3.8 million people would earn enough that they would no longer need to rely on SNAP (food stamps) assistance, saving the federal government over $500 million over the fiscal year. Between 14-17 million children would benefit from the raise. This is more than a question of justice for the worker, though it is that. A just minimum wage is about ensuring an economy that provides good jobs for working people, lifts families out of poverty, and pays workers a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.

Write to your Members of Congress today! 

Image via Department of Labor

In 2006, the PC(USA)’s 217th General Assembly called on Congress to pass “legislation to increase the minimum wage… [to] at least reflect the increase in the cost of living since the last minimum wage increase in 1997, with the goal of a wage level sufficient to lift full-time workers out of poverty.” (Minutes, 2006, pp. 894-895)

Faith Leaders Condemn SCOTUS Decision in Harris v.Quinn

Faith Leaders Condemn Supreme Court Decision: Ruling in Harris v. Quinn Will Hurt Caregivers and the People They Serve

**Partner Organizations and Quotes from Individual Faith Leaders Listed Below**

WASHINGTON, DC—In response to the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court today that weakens the collective bargaining power ultimately jeopardizes the ability of seniors and people with disabilities to get the reliable care they need to remain at home, the PICO National Network, Faith in Public Life, and nearly one dozen, non-partisan and multi-cultural faith-based organizations issued the following statement and words of support:

“Today, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Harris v. Quinn that undermines the labor rights of Illinois home care workers and puts at risk the quality of care for seniors and people with disabilities.  The 5-4 decision also compromises the future of critical services we all need while putting wages and benefits at risk for millions more.

“People, who bathe, feed and care for the sick and the elderly in our society, as well as those who protect and serve our communities such as firefighters, police officers, nurses and teachers, must themselves be treated with dignity and respect. That includes the ability to bargain collectively for fair wages, good benefits, safe workplaces and higher standards for the services our communities need.

“While we are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision and its impact on home care workers, we are relieved that the Court reaffirmed the long-standing collective bargaining rights of public sector employees.  As people of faith we believe in the dignity of all work and the fundamental right of all workers to organize for better pay, benefits and working conditions.”

“Today, we stand up in solidarity with the millions of those working so hard to bring comfort to so many.  We reaffirm their sacred and constitutional right to join together to fight for better lives for themselves, their families and those for whom they care.”

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), Faith in Public Life, Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ), National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NaLEC), NETWORK, PICO National Network, Presbyterian Church USA, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Sojourners

QUOTES FROM FAITH LEADERS OF PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

“Home health care aides provide one of the most important services in our society—caring for the elderly, disabled and infirm.  But it’s difficult to provide quality care to others when you’re worried about putting food on your own family’s table.  We must treat all workers fairly by paying them a living wage and allowing them to join together to improve their own working conditions. Our commitment to Biblical justice demands that we speak out on behalf of these workers. ”—Rev. Noel Castellanos, Chief Executive Officer, Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).

"The care and compassion that home healthcare providers give the sick and the elderly echoes the healing ministry of Jesus. These hardworking, underpaid workers deserve the dignity afforded by a voice in the work place, but the Supreme Court struck a blow to this principle today.”— Rev. Jennifer Butler, Chief Executive Office, Faith in Public Life (FPL).

“Homecare workers provide critical tasks for families and the society.  Like other workers, they deserve to have voice and representation in their jobs and advocates for improving wages and benefits.  The Supreme Court should help us move toward, instead of hindering, serving the common good.” — Kim Bobo, Executive Director, Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ).

“In a democracy one of the greatest gifts is being able to stand up and have a voice in decisions that impact your life.  As an Evangelical I support the right of these hard-working women and men to have a say in their working conditions so they can build better lives for themselves and their families.”— Rev. Gabriel Salguero, President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC).

“The practical impact of today’s decision will be to make it harder for everyday heroes to deliver quality public services to millions of Americans all across the country. This decision, however, does not stop the resolve of working people who come together to have their voices heard make real change in communities."— Rev. Michael-Ray Mathew, Director of Clergy Organizing, PICO.

“In the PC (USA), we have long supported the rights of workers to come together and collectively bargain for the good of all. Today’s Harris v. Quinn decision is a step backward for all workers, for as we rise together, so together do we fall. The services of home health care workers, who are disproportionately women and people of color, are essential for older adults and people with disabilities, as well as their families, who all depend on a caring, competent, and stable workforce that enables living at home and aging with dignity. That these workers would be denied the basic human right to organize for better lives, wages, and working conditions is a travesty and a shame on this nation.” — The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, Director for Public Witness, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

“Today marks a major step backwards for racial and economic justice.  More than 9 out of 10 home care workers in the U.S. are women, and nearly half are women of color.  Racist politicians ensured that home care workers were excluded from New Deal labor protections in the 1930s, now the Supreme Court says they do not even have the right to come together to fight for a better deal.  This is a moral outrage. We will continue to support home care workers in the fight for their human dignity.”—Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference

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PICO National Network is the largest grassroots, faith-based organizing network in the United States. PICO works with 1,000 religious congregations in more than 200 cities and towns through its 60 local and state federations. PICO and its federations are non-partisan and do not endorse or support candidates for office. PICO urges people of faith to consult their faith traditions for guidance on specific policies and legislation. Learn more at www.piconetwork.org