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On labor issues, bishops say one thing, do another
Jun. 26, 2009
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Catholic teacher in Washington, D.C. school (CNS photo)
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On June 22, 2009, “Respecting the Just Right of Workers: Guidance and Options for Catholic Health Care and Unions” was released by a Coalition consisting of the AFL-CIO, SEIU International, Catholic Health Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The National association of Catholic School Teachers, a national union representing teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools, takes issue with the members of the Bishops’ Conference because of their negligence in the application of Catholic social teaching when their fellow bishops are involved, especially in regard to employees most directly under the bishops’ control, in particular, Catholic school teachers.
In the foreword to “Respecting the Just Rights of Workers,” Bishop William Murphy talks about the ten year dialogue exploring “how Catholic social teaching should shape the actions of unions, management and others in assuring workers a free and fair choice on questions of representation in the workplace.” What follows is a blueprint to be followed by management and labor in Catholic Health Care institutions to ensure a process that is “free, fair and respectful.”
Throughout the document, the U.S. Bishops are making clear to Catholic healthcare employers that a worker’s right to unionize is “a fundamental principle of social justice recognized by the church.”
This is the latest social justice document of the U.S. Bishops that all but sky writes DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO. Where were the bishops when Cardinal Sean O’Malley cut the archdiocesan high school system into individual units and discarded the 30 year history of union recognition and negotiated contracts, making the teachers employees at will?
Where were the bishops when former St. Louis Archbishop, Raymond Burke, wrote to teachers in the fledgling elementary teachers’ union that “Neither the Archdiocese nor individual parishes will recognize or bargain collectively with any organization as a representative of teachers,” while at the same time recognizing and negotiating with the high school union?
Where were the bishops when Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino not only busted the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers after some 30 years of union recognition but established his own “company union,” something which is illegal in every other workplace in America?
Cardinal McCarrick, formerly of Washington, D.C. sums up the DO AS I SAY, - “Catholic social teaching can and should guide relationships between management and labor. It should be up to workers to decide through a fair process whether to be represented by a union. . . we want to ensure that workers make these choices freely and fairly ...” while Cardinal McCarrick’s fellow bishops, O’Malley, Burke and Martino, serve as the poster children for the bishops’ Catholic Social Teaching Wall of Shame (NOT AS WE DO).
The National Association of Catholic School Teachers is actively working with local Catholic School Teacher unions throughout Pennsylvania to achieve passage of House Bill 26, legislation that will provide safeguards for a fair process of union recognition and collective bargaining.
Here, as well, the bishops of Pennsylvania have gone all out to block the bill’s passage.
Until the U.S. Bishops begin to address the just rights of other church employees, the laborers in the church’s educational vineyards can only regard “Respecting the Just Rights of Workers” as but one more example of the bishops’ failure to practice what they preach.
Rita C. Schwartz IS President of the National Association of Catholic School Teachers.
And people wonder why
And people wonder why articles like Thomas Reese, SJ's "Memo to Bishops: No One is Listening" appear in the Washington Post? Real authority and credibility, like respect, are EARNED based on previous performance not the color of one's robes. The USCCB is simply continuing to reap what it has sown for decades. And it will take generations of new episcopal appointments to repair the damage.
Is NCR a union shop? If so
Is NCR a union shop? If so why? If not why not?
O'Malley, Burke, and Martino
O'Malley, Burke, and Martino --- along with the silence of most if not all their fellow hierarchs --- give us ample reason to conclude that as an ecclesial body, the U.S. bishops are, indeed, hypocrites!!!
I have to agree with Rita
I have to agree with Rita Schwartz's comments above.
The Catholic Church has a long and strong history of supporting workers' rights worldwide in particular and social justice issues in general, one to be truly proud of but that record in recent history has been sullied by the actions of the bishops she mentions here.
Here, as well, the bishops of Pennsylvania have gone all out to block "House Bill 26, legislation that will provide safeguards for a fair process of union recognition and collective bargaining."
They are nothing if not consistant. They, the Pennsylvaiia Catholic Conference and a few kept politicians, teamed up with the Insurance Industry a couple of years ago to defeat adequate child abuse legislation in the state.
More "DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO?"
Yes, I'm afraid so.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Honorary Member of the BC&T Workers Union, AFL
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com
My son was recently laid off
My son was recently laid off from the archdiocese of washington DC due to the closing of the school he was teaching at. He was told by a representative of the archdiocese that they would help him get a job, not to worry they would take care of him.
They did absolutely NOTHING for him. He did work hard and get another job in Diocese of Arlington. However he was left without health coverage for two months due to this transfer and had to purchase on his own.
Where is the justice and care of a so called Christian church. They are hypocrites and its all about money, money, money. Our church is a disgrace!!
He needs to be in a Union because you can't trust the church.!!!
"Where is the justice and
"Where is the justice and care of a so called Christian church. They are hypocrites and its all about money, money, money. Our church is a disgrace!!"
It's too bad money doesn't grow on trees so we could have utopia.
Our Church is NOT a disgrace;
Our Church is NOT a disgrace; our HIERARCHY is a disgrace. The two are NOT the same 'though the Hierarchy would like us to believe they are the same. Perhaps WE have to challenge the Hierarchy and challenge them often.
By the way the Hierarchy in the US of A appear to be no different from the Hierarchy in Scotland or England & Wales or Ireland; not that that is any consolation.
Teaching at a Catholic school
Teaching at a Catholic school is only a job that the wives of rich doctors can do (after their kids leave home). Who can afford to live on that salary? Unbelievable! Their pay is so bad. I have no idea why anybody would want to work at a Catholic school if they actually needed money to survive. The salaries are just rediculous.
Meanwhile, the bishops get fancy cars, huge houses, and all sorts of maids. Sound pretty Middle Ages to me!
Okay, apparently ideology and
Okay, apparently ideology and politics trumps reality at NCR, as well as in the National Association of Catholic School Teachers. As a former Catholic school teacher, I will take a stab at debunking some of this mythology.
First, Catholic school teachers are ministers, not employees. Their ministry is exercised in the education of the young. They take the place of the millions of religious women who, up until the last couple of decades, had labored in the Lord's vineyard, educating and forming the young. Following Vatican II, many of these sisters "discerned" that this ministry was beneath their dignity and ran off to do their own thing, some of them laudably enough, but others not so laudably. When those women abandoned their schools and their young charges, lay women and men were called to pick up the slack they left behind and to take over their roles as teachers of the young.
Second, these lay teachers minister in educational institutions that are not government monopolies, like public schools are, and that do not have the right or power to imposes taxes to pay their bills. Rather, they have to rely on tuition, often that does not pay all the bills, but that is kept low so as to allow for underprivileged children to be able to attend the school. The schools often also have to rely on fundraisers just to help make the ends meet. There is little extra money to be found in most Catholic schools, thus the idea that teachers can collectively bargain for increases in pay and/or benefits should be considered out of order.
At the schools I worked in, money was always tight. The tuition generally paid about 1/2 to 2/3 of the cost of educating the kids, the rest was made up by fundraising, and, at times, by operating in the red for a year or two. At one of the schools, the pastor of the parish refused to take a salary, and transferred the money that should have gone to pay him to the school's scholarship fund. Each year the schools got into deeper holes because the dioceses kept mandating pay increases for the teachers. The teachers received annual bumps in salary based on seniority, but in addition to those bumps, they also received annual increases of 3-5%. These schools were in small rural areas, and the parents of the kids found it difficult to face a tuition increase of 4-5% annually. The increases were designed to maintain parity with the local public school districts, an admirable goal until one realizes that the public schools were able to raises taxes on their constituents (including our parents!).
Further, mandatory unionization of schools has not proven to be of benefit to the students, who are the most important consideration in education. Teacher unions make it more difficult to get rid of incompetent teachers, and prohibits the rewarding of excellence among teachers by enforcing a salary scale based on years of service, rather than educational performance and excellence of students. Unions slow educational progress and seem to exist for one reason only, to preserve the least common denominator; after all, teachers who are hard-working and who do what they are asked, who teach well and who work to increase their own knowledge, who give their 100% and are supportive of administration, in other words, are good teachers, have very little to worry about and thus would not benefit much from unions.
No one argues that Catholic school teachers should be treated as the professionals that they are. The argument comes when those same teachers begin to act like their public school counterparts: hungry for salary and benefit increases that come at the cost of the kids.
Finally, at the risk of running into the wrath of my colleagues in education, I think it should be remembered that we teachers, while doing an essential and extremely important job, only work 9 months out of the year. Sure, many of us go over and above that, taking much time during the summer months to further our own education and to attend workshops and improve our classrooms. However, many of those workshops we attend, and in most states the classes we take over the summers, are required to maintain our certification, thus keep our jobs. So, it is not entirely altruistic on our part.
Unions have ruined the US automotive industry and are ruining the educational system (though government control also plays a major role in that). Why in the world would we want unions to destroy the Catholic school system as well?
It's fine to equate Catholic
It's fine to equate Catholic school teaching with a ministry, but teachers, unlike priests, often have families to take care of. They shouldn't have to take a vow of poverty. Paying decent wages and providing adequate medical benefits will attract and keep good, qualified teachers. The fact that someone is a good Catholic and is willing to work for very little money does not guarantee that he/she is a good teacher.
To label all Catholic school teachers (and public school teachers, for that matter) who want and need the power of collective bargaining as greedy and selfish is a form of prejudice.
If you look hard enough,
If you look hard enough, anything that someone says and that you don't agree with can be considered prejudice. In fact that word is thrown about so much anymore that it is devoid of meaning. Its only real use is to attempt to stifle debate in the public square.
Paying decent wages is one thing. However, the idea that Catholic schools can afford parity with public schools is laughable. The answer to all of this, of course, is open and FAIR competition -- parents who choose to send their children to Catholic (or other private) schools should be allowed to deduct the cost of that tuition from their taxes, ideally both locally and nationally, perhaps a 20/80% split. In other words, if I choose to send my child to St. Florian School, and the tuition is $2,000 per year, I should be able to deduct from my local taxes (property and/or income) 20% of that tuition or $400; from federal income tax I should be allowed to deduct the remaining 80% of $1,600. In this way, parents have a real and meaningful choice in their children's education, Catholic schools (and other private schools) will benefit from increased enrollment, Catholic school teachers will benefit from increased salary while the schools do not have to increase tuition to compensate, and public school parents/students will benefit from the improvements that those schools will have to make in order to compete. It is a win-win for everyone (except teachers' unions, of course).
You make some valid points.
You make some valid points. However, If I understand what you're saying, you are saying that catholic school teachers should work for MUCH less money, and very few benefits, so that tuition can be kept low. Low tuition seems like a great idea, but why should it be at the expense of teachers livelihood? No catholic school teacher I know of expects to make millions, but when you can't pay bills, or you can't follow Catholic teaching and raise a family with a parent at home, or you can't afford health care, dental etc. that is an injustice. I'm not being anti-clerical, but I've never met a priest or religious whose needs weren't met, or who didn't have health care, or ever had to worry about the electricity being cut off, or losing one's home when you can't pay the mortgage.
It sounds like you would like lay teachers to live the same "lifestyle" that religious did when they taught. There is greater responsibility in the "real world" for lay teachers. When I see religious orders and dioceses spending millions on odd or silly things here and there, and cut teachers' salaries, I begin to wonder who is actually living the Gospel values? And, how easily Religious cast aside their long history of apostolic work.
I apologize for my lateness
I apologize for my lateness to the fray! Well argued and well written however misguided!
Lay teachers, ministers? I agree, after a fashion. However I did not know that the "order" of Lay teacher/ministers took vows of poverty and anti-unionism! I don''t really know if my teachers were formally paid or not. I do know that they were "given" an awful lot of authority but I always considered that they were nuns, consequently a kind of "captive" labor force. Provided with room and board and prob'ly some sort of stipend from their particular order I had no idea how they lived, still don't. I had other things to worry about.
Seems to me that my widowed mother was always concerned that tuitions were excessive, There were four of us. And I only discovered as an adult that there was tuition to be paid at both charitable institutions I attended. One an orphanage and the other a "Catholic" boys home! I slways considered it ironic that she paid to have her eldest son molested and abused! How quaint! How really Irish! Huh? I guess in the true Irish tradition or is it Roman tradition? Teachers being paid less than the going rate with no benefits and no vehicle for the redress of grievances, is simply pennance for sins committed. No? Sounds traditionally rational to me! Work only nine months of the year for little or no pay and expect to feed a family out of the parrish coffers? Just how heathen is that? Actually it sounds like typical CORPORATE claptrap. especially from an institution (RCC INC.) with a reported annual income of one hundred and five billion, non taxed dollars! (see ncr article some months back concerning a new "business model for the church) Yeah! Look it up! And it seems that if these schools are run by the parrishes (corporate branch offices) and they are in financial straits, the regional office, (diocese) and the regional manager (Bishop?) should be able to offer some sort of assistance. To sustain da bid-niz ya know! Dat's how Wally world do it! But I don't think that Wally world employees are organized either! or is that what "Sam's Club" is all about? I understand less and less!
I don't really remember reading anywhere about the unions destroying the automotive industry. What I heard mostly from the biased news reports I got was something about arrogant refusal to meet the competition, a poor business plan on the part of the auto companies, something about a financial crises and big money (which I really don't understand) loans and calls on loans and some really crooked politics, and borrowing money from ME and my government so they could continue to do really stupid stuff like build edsels and stuff! Oh yeah! Those auto workers demanded that the auto companies honor their contracts. How crooked is that? I think you mis printed! Didn't you mean that it's those Truck drivers that are ruining the education system? I think that would be a far more accurate hysteria. I am suddenly reminding myself of a character description I read in that book I read that time! It went, "He possesed the assuredness of only the really stupid!" wow! Sometimes I think I ought to have my own TV news analysts show! Move over Oreilly!
The keenest revelation of a societies soul, is how it treats it's children!
We are slowly but surely learning how valuable it's children are to the church!
We will learn! However being "Catholic," we will refuse to believe!
'Cause Str. Mary Cash register said it ain't so!
James Edward
Just another example of why
Just another example of why people not only do not but cannot afford to listen to bishops. Bishops believe they are above the law. They impose on others but do not live by the Gospel they preach. Forget unions--they have yet to pay a living wage to diocesan workers, but tell corporate America that workers are entitled to a living wage. How foolish they must look and sound to CEOs in this country. Their words will continue to be fall on deaf ears until they live the Gospel they preach.
catholic church / WalMart -
catholic church / WalMart - sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
I am in agreement with the
I am in agreement with the late American Cardinal Avery Dulles when he said that to the extent the American Bishops sally forth with opinions and ponouncements on social life within America. With so many pronouncements across so many subjects; they weaken the true message of the Gospel. Namely the importance of communicating in direct fashion the Good News that Jesus is God come in the flesh, that He established His Church on earth so that all who hear and believe will be saved. Telling all the people about the importance of baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.. encouraging everyone to live a holy life serving God and neighbor, while keeping the all commandments. It is truly the Good News! Peace and understanding in Christ!
It's not just school
It's not just school teachers. Parish employees are also treated unfairly by pastors and bishops and have no recourse. A union is needed for parish employees as well.
Paying a just and fair wage
Paying a just and fair wage to families, as defined by giving a significant and explicit raise every time a child is born, would do more for the cause of life than all the FOCA postcards ever printed.
Social sin is alive and
Social sin is alive and manifested well within the Church's organizational structure. It is no surprise that Bishop William Murphy is part of the story given how he has grievously harmed the diocese of Rockville Centre, the people of God, under his "care."
The presumption of clerical privilege within the Catholic Church is so prevalent that many clergy including, ahh especially, the bishops just don't get it. For many of these men they entered the seminary just as they became teenagers or thereabouts. They have been coddled and taken care of their entire lives, first by their mothers ("Oh, my son, the priest!") and then by the church's organizational structure. I heard one priest say that he knew how to "work with the laity" as he pointed to his housekeeper and his cook.
Many clergy have never had to srape together the funds to pay the grocery bill or to worry about paying medical coverage or for a prescription. They have never had to weigh what expenses they can eliminate (lower the heat even more in the winter?) in order to pay for a child's education.
As mentioned in another NCR article about being fired from a Catholic organization, how many lay employees accept the job not knowing that they will not have COBRA coverage if they are terminated? I bet many just thought that commonly known employment laws such as COBRA also applied to church institutions as well.
When a lay employee asked for a cost-of-living increase after four years without any kind of salary increase, the priest in charge said that the employee was trying "to suck the organization dry."
One lay woman had worked in a nursing home for religious for over twenty-five years and decided to retire, when one priest objected to the retirement party planned to honor her work, he said, "She got paid for it (her work)." He went on to say that her work was not a ministry because she got paid for it. Another person pointed out that priests are paid as well, the currency is just different.
Is it no wonder that in Jesus'time the religious hierarchy executed him?
GETTING READY FOR THE COMING
GETTING READY FOR THE COMING AMERICAN CATHOLIC COUNCIL
http://americancatholiccouncil.org/
From the current issue of ARCC Light, the Newsletter of the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church:
"A number of members of the International Board of the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church have from the beginning several months ago been deeply involved in the creation and development of the American Catholic Council (ACC).
The ACC has been brought into existence in conjunction with leaders from a number of American Catholic reform organizations, including ARCC, VOTF, CTA, FutureChurch, Corpus--but also many more. The focus is, in the spirit of Vatican II, on making the governance of the Church more participatory, transparent, accountable, and law-not-boss-based."
VISIT - http://americancatholiccouncil.org/
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