Labor unions and other worker associations are necessary to help lift workers and their families out of poverty amid a “broken economy,” according to Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
“Economic renewal that places working people and their families at the center of economic life cannot take place without effective unions,” said Blaire. “This renewal requires business, religious, labor and civic organizations to work together to help working people defend their dignity, claim their rights, and have a voice in the workplace and broader economy.”
The bishop’s remarks were contained in the committee’s annual Labor Day statement titled, “Placing Work and Workers at the Center of Economic Life,” which was released on Aug. 13. “Our country continues to struggle with a broken economy that is not producing enough decent jobs. Millions of Americans suffer from unemployment, underemployment or are living in poverty as their basic needs too often go unmet,” said Blaire. “This represents a serious economic and moral failure for our nation.”
