Verizon Strike: Day 5

I'm the guy with the baseball cap (oh, and the clerical collar)

I was asked by a member of the congregation why I was showing up on the Verizon picket line. Although the question was sincerely asked without a hidden agenda, I recognized that it was one of those questions about 'taking sides.' Congregants are always a bit uneasy when they feel their pastor is becoming too political or enmeshing themselves in political issues.

The simple answer, which can become a little glib unless fully explained, is that Jesus took sides. But more importantly, many Christian denominations support workers rights and the right of employees to organize. (There are also statements of support in other faith traditions.) In 1997 the United Church of Christ placed these words in a resolution approved by the General Synod:

Be It Resolved that the Twenty-first General Synod reaffirms the heritage of the United Church of Christ as an advocate for just, democratic, participatory and inclusive economic policies in both public and private sectors, including:

the responsibility of multinational corporations and international financial institutions to respect and hold themselves accountable to fundamental human rights, particularly with regard to child labor, employment of minorities, and wages that are adequate for local costs of living;

the responsibility of workers to organize for collective bargaining with employers regarding wages, benefits, and working conditions, and the responsibility of employers to respect not only worker rights but also worker’s dignity, and to create and maintain a climate conducive to the worker’s autonomous decision to organize;

the responsibility of collective bargaining units, such as unions, to respect their members and encourage their participation in further efforts to democratize, to respect and hold themselves accountable to fundamental human rights, and to reform and expand the labor movement domestically and abroad;

Those words are only a portion of the resolution which is more wide-ranging. It clearly states that workers have both rights and responsibilities. In a time when unions continue to struggle against corporate money and rights are eroded it is imperative that people of faith support the efforts of workers. In fact, this isn't just about 'taking sides'; it is also about being with people during difficult times and listening to their stories and assuring them that they aren't alone in their struggles. Solidarity!