The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stand with unions in their
Labor Day 2012 message. The bishops say unions "have a unique and essential responsibility in this needed economic renewal":
At their best, unions demonstrate solidarity by bringing workers together to speak and act collectively to protect their rights and pursue the common good. Unions are a sign of subsidiarity by forming associations of workers to have a voice, articulate their needs, and bargain and negotiate with the large economic institutions and structures of government.
The bishops are especially concerned about poverty. Unlike anti-worker politicians and their corporate sugar daddies, the bishops believe poor people aren't to blame for their plight:
Over ten million families are “working poor”–they work hard, but their jobs do not pay enough to meet their basic needs. The sad fact is that over 46 million people live in poverty and, most disturbingly, over 16 million children grow up poor in our nation. The link between joblessness and poverty is undeniable, as Pope Benedict points out:
In many cases, poverty results from a violation of the dignity of human work, either because work opportunities are limited (through unemployment or underemployment), or “because a low value is put on work and the rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just wage and to the personal security of the worker and his or her family” (Caritas in Veritate, no. 63).
They allude gently to political candidates who ignore the 46 million poor people in America:
We need to hear from those who seek to lead this country about what specific steps they would take to lift people out of poverty.
And we can't disagree with this:
The exploitation of working people, whether subtle or obvious, injures their humanity and denies their inherent dignity. Exploited and mistreated workers require our care and solidarity. An economy that allows this exploitation and abuse demands our attention and action.
