Worker Memorial Day is April 28, a day when we remember workers who have lost their lives providing goods (buildings, roads, food, clothing, etc) and services (caring for our children, elderly and disabled, cleaning our spaces, mowing our lawns, cutting our hair etc) for “the rest of us.” What does God require of us to provide justice for workers? A living wage is critical, but safety for workers is imperative. Laws and regulations for worker safety and funding for inspectors to enforce those laws are key requirements for justice in…
Tenth Annual HKonJ is February 13
Join the NAACP, NC Council of Churches, and other coalition partners for the Tenth Annual Moral March on Raleigh. Historic Thousands on Jones Street 2016 takes place on Saturday, February 13; gather and rally is at 8:30 a.m. and the march begins at 10 a.m. Participants can meet across the street from Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at 2 East South Street. Since its beginnings, HKonJ has drawn together a broad cross-section of North Carolinians committed to justice for all in this state, especially the most vulnerable among us. This year’s march is…
Uncomplicating Justice
A lot of times in the work that we do at the Council we preface our comments, blogs or presentations with the words, “it’s complicated”. The Syrian refugee crisis is complicated. Immigration reform is complicated. Climate change is complicated. And it is. History is complicated and so are people’s motives and interpretations. However, often that becomes code for, “so I’m not going to do anything about it.” In a recent, tragic example the choice not to indict the officers who shot and killed 13-year-old Tamir Rice was described as a “difficult…
Shopping with Meaning
Pope Francis has offered us a message encouraging us to actions that reflects a commitment to dignity and respect for all workers. As the Advent season approaches, gift giving becomes a priority for those of us in the Christian community. There are many ways to shop with a conscience supporting values we hold dear. There are Fair Trade stores and alternative gift fairs encouraging donations to honor a relative or friend. And several cities in North Carolina have programs encouraging local employers to pay living wages. These communities certify and maintain…
Coffee Cups and Jesus
Jesus does not care about your latte. Your frappuccino, cappuccino, or mocha, either. At least, he doesn’t care about the cup it is served in and whether it’s branded to praise him. What Jesus would care about, based on his many preachings, teachings, and living out of the word, is the justice of that coffee. So, was it grown in a way that is kind to the earth? Were the people who farmed and harvested it treated humanely and paid decently? Are the servers earning a living wage with benefits that include…
Workers Deserve Dignity and Respect
Monday, September 7 is Labor Day when we should honor the workers in our community with dignity and respect. The Social Creed for the 21st century, a document endorsed by major denominations, says specifically we should work for: Employment for all, at a family-sustaining living wage, with equal pay for comparable work. The rights of workers to organize, and to share in workplace decisions and productivity growth. Protection from dangerous working conditions, with time and benefits to enable full family life. As disciples of a living creator who calls on…
Observe Labor Sunday
The Sunday of Labor Day weekend is Labor Sunday, a day to celebrate workers and their contributions and to support their struggles. It is also a day to commit ourselves to improving conditions for workers and to lament that workers often confront unjust situations such as low wages, unsafe conditions, racism, sexism and other abuses. We encourage congregations to participate in Labor Sunday and to download and include this bulletin insert, which includes resources for lifting up workers in your service. Loving our neighbors means standing with people on the…
Prayers Today on Workers’ Memorial Day
A few weeks ago, The News & Observer published an article entitled “Many NC workers’ death go uncounted,” describing how often workplace deaths in North Carolina are uninvestigated, undocumented, and unreported. The article details the ways that the NC Department of Labor reports workplace fatalities and how a large number of deaths are not counted in the numbers that are reported. Many of these workplace deaths are related to the North Carolina economy’s ties to an agricultural system that demands physically difficult and often dangerous work. For example, the article…
Justice Advocates Convene for the Cause
The Council of Churches’ Legislative Seminar – its top-profile public event of the year – is meant to inform, and it’s meant to inspire. We’re not too bashful to say that this year’s version, held on April 14 at Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary, succeeded on both counts. With the General Assembly moving into the heart of its biennial “long session” – and with conservative legislators seemingly bent on deepening many of the ill-advised holes they’ve been digging for themselves and the state – the seminar focused on a…
Advocate for Family-Sustaining Living Wages and the Right to Organize
According to Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ), “four million fast food workers across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Many workers are standing up for $15 per hour and the right to form a union without retaliation.” Other low-wage workers, such as home health care workers, are now joining this struggle. After enduring bad weather in recent weeks – snow, ice, treacherous driving conditions, schools out at a moment’s notice, and lengthy power outages for many – I have been thinking about low wage workers. They get no paid…
Coming to the Seminar? Bring a Friend!
The Council’s 2015 Legislative Seminar is about a month away, and we have an exciting program of preachers, workshops, and presenters planned. If you’ve already registered to be with us, thank you and we look forward to seeing you on April 14. If you haven’t registered, please do so by April 7 in order to guarantee lunch. Either way, we hope you’ll help us get the word out to other progressive people of faith. You can find a color flyer here or a program and registration form here to print…
Register for 2015 Legislative Seminar — Updated with Workshops and Presenters
Join us on April 14 at Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary for the Council’s 2015 Legislative Seminar. Held every two years, the Seminar equips people of faith with the information they need to be advocates on issues before the NC General Assembly. Registration with workshop options is below. Please scroll through the registration section for a full list of topics and presenters. The cost is $15 for students, $25 for all others, and that includes a light breakfast underwritten by Partners in Health and Wholeness, and a boxed lunch prepared by the Interfaith…
Showing Love to Workers this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day marks one of the biggest shopping days of the year, especially when it comes to chocolate and flowers. But did you know that often your tokens of affection are supporting pesticides, child slavery and farmworker exploitation? The Bible calls for us not only to love our neighbor, but also to show concern for the vulnerable and neglected. Learn more about the products you are buying and what you can do to show your love of neighbor and care for creation by supporting fair labor practices this February 14th….
Two Former NCCC Presidents Among Faith Leaders Meeting with US Labor Secretary
On September 16, two former NC Council of Churches President were among a select group of 13 religious leaders who met with US Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to discuss how faith groups and the administration can work together to protect workers and provide greater economic opportunity for all. Stan Kimer, the Council’s Immediate Past President, represented the NCCC, and the Rev. Sékinah Hamlin, Council President from 2007-2009, was there on behalf of her current organization, the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative. Read Stan’s recently published blog for details and photos.
Observing the Labor Sabbath This Weekend
As Labor Day weekend quickly approaches, many people are thinking about beaches and barbeques. Amy Laura Hall, however, wants people to be thinking about something different: labor unions. Hall, a professor at Duke Divinity School, is calling for congregations to observe a Labor Sabbath this Friday, Saturday or Sunday prior to Labor Day, during which time the words “labor union” are to be mentioned in a sermon, song or prayer. The effort stems from a similar endeavor by Interfaith Worker Justice in Chicago, which invited clergy to speak about unions from the pulpit….