Bishops' Labor Day Statement Highlights Unionization Principles For Catholic Health Agencies

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued its Labor Day 2009 statement, The Value of Work; The Dignity of the Human Person. The statement highlights an elaborate agreement reached in June on unionization of workers at Catholic health care facilities. More than ten years of discussions between two major unions, Catholic health care agencies and the Bishops Conference led to the report: Respecting the Just Rights of Workers: Guidance and Options for Catholic Health Care and Unions. Here is an excerpt from The Foreword to the document:

This document reflects and applies longstanding principles of Catholic teaching. It encourages civil dialogue between unions and employers focusing on how the workers’ right to decide will be respected. Under the agreement, management agrees not to use traditional anti-union tactics or outside firms that specialize in such tactics and unions agree to refrain from publicly attacking Catholic health care organizations.

Separately, on the Labor Day theme, here are brief "Historical Highlights of the Religion-Labor Movement" reprinted from the Interfaith Worker Justice website.