Faith Community Stands with Low-Wage Federal Contract Workers

w American Friends Service Committee w Bread for the World w Office of Social Justice of the Christian Reformed Church w Church World Service w Disciples Center for Public Witness (Disciples of Christ) w Ecumenical Poverty Initiative w Evangelical Lutheran Church in America w Faith in Public Life w Franciscan Action Network w Friends Committee on National Legislation w Interfaith Worker Justice w Islamic Society of North America w Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns w Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity w National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd w National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. w National Religious Campaign Against Torture w NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby w Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) w Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism w Union for Reform Judaism w Unitarian Universalist Association w United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries w The United Methodist Church -- General Board of Church and Society w

April 22, 2015

Dear Mr. President,

In the faith community, we believe that every person is a child of God, that God wants shalom, that is, peace and wholeness for each of us, and that there is inherent dignity in work and the fruits of labor.

As you know, our nation generates great abundance yet only a few among us share in the bounty.   This growing gap between the wealthy and everyone else is not only a political issue, but also a moral one that we are compelled by conscience to address. Indeed, it is an affront to human dignity when hardworking men and women are deprived of fully enjoying the fruits of their labor and must struggle simply to feed, clothe and shelter themselves and their children.  

Your recent executive orders to boost the federal contract minimum wage to $10.10 and to prevent wage theft and other legal violations on federal contracts begin to address this great challenge.

These orders have been transformative in the economic life of our nation, inspiring many leading business executives and public officials to follow your example.  During the past year, the mayors of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia issued their own executive orders covering municipal contractors and the CEOs of companies like The Gap, IKEA, Wal-Mart, and Target announced that they too would raise wages for their lowest paid workers. In addition, numerous cities, counties and states are now moving, or have already passed, legislation to ensure workers aren’t cheated out of a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work. All together, the living standards of 9 million workers will be enhanced because you expressed solidarity with workers who are struggling to survive.

As leaders of faith communities in the United States, we express our gratitude to you for exercising moral leadership by using your executive powers to start lifting low-wage workers out of poverty.   Our faith traditions advocate for justice, and we recognize that your actions provide a firm foundation for rebuilding a more fair and equitable society. 

However, given the scale of human suffering caused by poverty jobs, we urge you to do even more to aid our nation’s most vulnerable workers by promoting living wage and benefit standards on federal contracts with the power of your pen.  We believe that if you lead on this, our economy and labor market will once again follow your lead.

We therefore call on you to issue a “Model Employer Executive Order” that provides a contracting preference for companies that pay living wages of at least $15 an hour, offer good benefits and paid-time off for sickness and care-giving, provide full-time hours and predictable work schedules, as well as promote the rights of workers to bargain collectively so they do not need to strike to have their voices heard.   

By taking bold action before you leave office, you can ensure that all people have an opportunity to live into their God-given potential.   Thank you for considering our request.  We would gladly accept an invitation to meet with you to discuss this issue further.

Sincerely,

The Reverend David Beckmann

President

Bread for the World

Taquiena Boston

Multicultural Growth & Witness Director

Unitarian Universalist Association

The Reverend Dr. Ken Brooker Langston

Executive Director

Disciples Center for Public Witness (Disciples of Christ)

The Reverend Jennifer Butler

CEO

Faith in Public Life

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS

Executive Director

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Patrick Carolan

Executive Director

Franciscan Action Network

Lawrence Couch

Director

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

Father John Edmunds, S.T.

General Custodian

Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity

The Reverend Sèkinah Hamlin

Director

Ecumenical Poverty Initiative

The Reverend Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe

General Secretary

The United Methodist Church -- General Board of Church and Society

Aura Kanegis

Director for Public Policy and Advocacy

American Friends Service Committee

Gerry G. Lee

Director

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Rudy López

Executive Director

Interfaith Worker Justice

The Reverend Stacy Martin

Director, Advocacy

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Peter Vander Meulen

Director

Office of Social Justice of the Christian Reformed Church

The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II

Director for Public Witness

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner

Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Senior Vice President, Union for Reform Judaism

Diane Randall

Executive Secretary

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Martin Shupack

Director of Advocacy

Church World Service

Sandy Sorensen

Director, Washington Office

United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

The Reverend Ron Stief

Executive Director

National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed

National Director

Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances

Islamic Society of North America

Jim Winkler

General Secretary and President

National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Earth Day Action- Expand Farm to School Program

Today is Earth Day. Are you celebrating Earth Sunday this weekend? Whether you already observed Earth Sunday or have yet to celebrate it, you can take this action any time!

Earth Day is a time for us to come together with our communities and rekindle commitment to a better future and a thriving planet. As we face increasingly severe storms, droughts in once fertile agricultural lands, and rising seas, it is critical that we use Earth Day as a catalyst to take decisive action to ease the harm we are causing to our ecosystems. 

This year, our ecumenical partner, Creation Justice Ministries, has prepared an Earth Day resource to engage our families and congregations in conversation and action for a healthier planet through the lens of food. It is called "Have You Anything Here to Eat?" and encourages us to reflect on how food production and consumption impacts the changing climate. It includes ideas for what you can do in your day-to-day life to live lighter on the land and give thanks for the abundance of God's creation. Please click here to download this wonderful resource and share it widely with your community. 

Click here to write to your Members of Congress about food this Earth Day.

On the national scene, we are drawing attention to the Farm to School Act of 2015, which helps children and their families make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy by funding projects around the country that connect children to food production, harvest, and preparation. This program makes grants on a competitive basis for schools, nonprofits, state and local agencies, agricultural producers, and Indian tribal organizations to increase local food procurement for school meal programs and expand educational activities on agriculture and food. It educates children about ecological preservation, increases the number of fruits and vegetables they eat daily, and provides organic farmers with a market for their produce in schools. This year, we are asking Congress to strengthen and expand the program’s scope through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

Write to Congress in support of Farm to School here!

For many years, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been bearing witness to the ecological devastation that humans are bringing to the planet through global climate change. Presbyterian General Assemblies have called for changes at all levels of our lifestyle – from a national comprehensive climate plan to changing the way we use energy in our homes and churches. Together, we can make a difference.

Faith Leaders Respond to Introduction of "Fast Track" Bill with Concern

The following press release includes statement from J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Office of Public Witness. 



WASHINGTON, DC—A number of faith leaders representing religious communions, denominations, and organizations across the country spoke out today to voice their concern about the newly released Trade Promotion Authority bill, or Fast Track, which would give the president unilateral power to sign the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement without a chance for debate in Congress. This legislation is deeply troubling to people of faith, who witness the impact of past free trade negotiations on God’s people and Creation in the United States and around the world. 

“Any ‘Fast Track’ mechanism designed to advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership would only further silence the voices of those who have been harmed by past trade agreements. The vulnerable and marginalized are our priority as a church, and we cannot serve them when the ability for public debate is compromised. Without congressional oversight where it is due, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will surely follow in the destructive footsteps of NAFTA and CAFTA,” said Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, Director of Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness. 

Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, said, “Fast Track is a broken and undemocratic process that closes off debate and silences the voices of people not at the negotiating table. We know from past agreements that the adverse impacts of such agreements are not considered by those who seek to benefit greatly from their provisions. To compound that problem, Fast Track silences the voices that most need to be heard. Trade agreements need a full discussion. They must reflect our values and support the common good.” 

Sr. Patricia McDermott, President of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, said, “Opposition to the Trade Promotion Authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an urgent moral issue, with grave consequences. With our commitment to persons who are poor, especially women and girls, the Sisters of Mercy are greatly concerned about what could become a globalized race to the bottom for cheap production, with countries like Vietnam and Brunei becoming the newly exploited labor markets.” 

“Trade agreements impact many aspects of our lives, the lives of our neighbors around the world, and the environment,” said Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries. “These potentially harmful agreements need very careful and thorough scrutiny by Congress. We urge policymakers to defeat Fast Track legislation which would shorten and restrict the usual oversight process.” 

“Catholic social teaching calls us to ensure community participation in the democratic process. We are disappointed that once again Congress is proposing a flawed form of trade authority that allows the president to sign an agreement that has not been fully debated. Also, the proposed trade agreement fails to take into account voices and needs of people living on the margins,” said Gerry Lee, Director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns 

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, said, “We support trade policies that are beneficial to all countries and peoples, especially the poorest among us. The Friends Committee on National Legislation opposes fast track trade promotion authority for the current trade agreements being negotiated because Fast Track is a fundamentally undemocratic process that will not care for creation or vulnerable communities.” 

“Fast Track curtails the voice of poor, whose needs should come before profit. We urge Congress to reject this legislation, which is unjust and undemocratic, and continue to stand in solidarity with the marginalized communities that have been negatively impacted by free trade agreements in countries where Columban missionaries serve. As Pope Francis has taught us, the economy should serve the people, not the other way around,” said Scott Wright, Director of the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach.” 

Washington Report to Presbyterians Spring 2015

Click here to view or download the complete Washington Report to Presbyterians (PDF document).

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE PC(USA) OFFICE OF PUBLIC WITNESS INCLUDES:

Land of the Free on Lockdown

By the Reverend J. Herbert Nelson

In the United States of America, we incarcerate more people than anywhere else in the world. While the U.S. is home to five percent of the world’s population, we nonetheless incarcerate 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Read more…

Where are They Now?

Featuring Former OPW Intern Jessica Tate and What’s NEXT for the Church?

NEXT Church is a network of leaders across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who are trying to figure out what it means to be God’s faithful church in the 21^st Century. Read more…

Celebrating Public Witness Victories

OPW Staff highlight a few recent victories for the church’s public witness ministry, including:

·      Victory on Establishing Diplomatic Relations with Cuba

·      Standing with Low-Wage Workers

·      Nuclear Non-Proliferation in Iran

·      A Step in Addressing Global Climate Change

Read more…

Homelessness and Mass Incarceration

The Office of Public Witness is currently hosting an art exhibition titled “Homeless” by Presbyterian member Lucy Janjigian. These 18 paintings represent the trials and sorrows of people living with homelessness. They deal eloquently with real-life tragedies. Read more…

Presbyterians in the National Capital region are invited to come view the exhibition. Please contact ga_washington_office@pcusa.org to let us know you are expected.

A Celebration of Service Learning: Spring 2015

Meet this Spring’s amazing group of young adult service learners. Read more…

Young Adult Engagement Report, 2012-2015

The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness in April 2015 is releasing a new “Young Adult Engagement Report, 2012-2015,” in which we review the fruits of the last three years of ministry to and with youth and young adults. Through three projects, the OPW reports having engaged with over 5,000 youth and young adults in the 3-year period. These programs are:

1.     A Justice Model for Service Learning

2.     Seminars to Build Advocates for Justice

3.     Conferences and Outreach

The overwhelming conclusion is that this ministry is a blessing ot the work of the OPW, which will renew its commitment to providing educational and experiential learning opportunities for youth and young adults. To download the complete report, please click here.