U of M Labor and Community Strike Support Committee

Dear President Bruininks,

Although we are Episcopalians, we accept the Papal teaching on labor, which has for more than 100 years rejected the impious idea that labor may be treated as one more commodity to be bought and sold on the market. Human labor is an expression of our creativity as persons made in the image of God. It is also an expression of our solidarity with one another. This human community, in which we all work on behalf of one another for the common good, must never be sacrificed to the idols of individual self-interest or so-called "laws" of the market.

The very idea of a "labor market" is against our religion. Christianity
condemns the buying and selling human beings. Catholic social teaching - as recently as the late Pope John Paul II (Laborem exercens) - likewise rejects the view that labor may be distinguished and separated (alienated) from the human person of the laborer. Therefore, labor may not be bought and sold as a commodity. Labor is theologically and morally prior to capital. The "labor market" by itself cannot legitimately determine just compensation for the worker.

The University's offer is not just. Persons at the top of their pay scale - hardly a luxurious position for many of these workers - will not be given increases at the rate of inflation. Furthermore, those who are not at the top of the pay scale will not receive sufficient increase to take into account both inflation and the costs associated with the responsibilities of growing a year older including raising children. The inflation rate does not include the increases in energy or housing costs experienced recently in Minnesota. Persons owning homes at this end of the wage scale are also hit disproportionately by the transfer of a good portion of the tax burden from income tax to property tax under our current State government.

We have come to expect this sort of offer from the Enrons of the world, but not our public institutions in Minnesota. Indeed, this offer does not even meet the standard set by our Republican Governor in dealing with similar job categories of State workers.

Our Parish supports the just demands of the AFSCME Strikers. As taxpayers and Christians, we oppose any attempt to solve the fiscal difficulties of our public institutions by reducing the already meager compensation of our workers. For ultimately, the University workers are our employees. We will not stand for their mistreatment. We have made our worship space next to Strike Headquarters available to the Strike effort, and our members are volunteering in support roles.

Robert Leduc, Sr. Warden
On Behalf of Holy Trinity & St. Anskar Episcopal Church