Labor & Religion Work Together
The main speaker at the July 11 Local 848 Retiree Luncheon was a
young college student. Diane Price of Notre Dame is serving as a summer intern
for the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (NICWJ). She told the
retirees about "Labor in the Pulpits," a program to give union
members an opportunity to speak to church congregations. Most people in the
labor movement do not associate religion with worker justice issues, so this
program strengthens that bond, she said. Price is speaking to pastors in hopes
of having them invite union members to speak to congregations around Labor Day.
She is speaking to unions to recruit speakers.
Price had organized a meeting of religious leaders at Holy Cross
Catholic Church in Dallas on July 18. She said that “Labor in the Pulpits” has
been going on for many years, and many cities participate, including a few
churches in North Texas.
Retiree Chairman Gene Cates said that bringing the churches and
labor together is a very good idea: "If you stop and think about it, a lot
of your labor leaders are always working with their church organizations.
Trying to really bring the people back to the basics is what it is.”
Ms Price brought copies of a "Sample Outline and Tips for a
Union Speaker." It begins, "Labor Day is an opportunity for people of
faith to recognize God's commitment to justice. Labor Day is a hard-earned
holiday coming out of the struggles of working people for the 8-hour day and
the right to organize into unions." The retirees are urged to make those
points to their church congregations, especially in late August.
Diane Price (center) posed with retirees
President Reecie Giesecke then addressed the retirees and
reported on the UAW Constitutional Convention. Said that voter registration
will be a big issue this year. He brought registration cards. He asked all
retirees to take registration cards for their families and friends.
Ed Reach said that people should definitely mark the section
that asks if one is a citizen. An oversight on that might result in the card
being rejected.
Giesecke also brought extra bumper stickers for union-endorsed
candidates. He commented on the current scandals concerning the dishonesty of
certain large corporate executives. He said that attacks continue on Social
Security. Certain congressmen are proposing heavy cuts of anywhere from 25% to
40%. “We need to stay with our Congressmen to let them be aware that we do not
support this,” Giesecke said.