Union busting is mortal sin, Catholic scholars say

Rather than confer with a religious confessor, more likely they should consult a lawyer with expertise in employee rights, from the labor union side of things.
Too many Catholic law firms on retainers to Dioceses advise them on how to dodge legal responsibilities to victims of injustices, rather than on how to work to better conditions.

Dennis Sadowski has provided a very healthy commentary on the immorality of union busting. The right wingers will no doubt be flooding out of the woodwork to express their anti-union views. Sadly, the record of American Catholic bishops fall in the Republican and anti-union categories, at least for the last decade. I agree that there are at clearly at least two violations of the Seventh Commandment in opposing the right to organize a union. Catholic Social teachings on this subject have made many fine advances over the years but this changed dramatically when John Paul II took the Church backwards by opposing Liberation Theology in South America and by smothering the rights of women to be ordained to the priesthood and episcopate. There are links between these last two topics and "access to just wages and benefits, thus harming "social solidarity" and diminishing the "universal common good". It will be a cause for joy and celebration when many of the bishops of the American Catholic Church are no longer held captive by the Republican Party and the far right wing and they stand with those workers who are merely trying to gain a living wage and the benefits that provide a better quality of life. Many bishops know this is a just and fair position for workers and some even stand with the workers and provide solidarity. The problem is that those bishops are now in the minority.

Since when does NCR care about mortal sin?

A few notes on the essay,which can be read here (it is six pages long):

http://www.catholicscholarsforworkerjustice.org/UNION_BUSTING_IS_A_MORTA...

"The scholars explained that under church teaching, such a right is rooted in divine law and that efforts to break a labor organization using civil laws is comparable to idol worship, which is contrary to the First Commandment.

"Since the right to form labor unions is rooted in divine law, no created law may be invoked to deny, or frustrate, or impede that right..."

## Idolatry ??? Here's what the document says:

"Union busting refers to the action of any person who seeks to prevent employees from form-ing a labor union, or who attempts to undermine or destroy an existing union. This person is in grave material violation of Catholic Social Doctrine on labor unions. This violation of Catholic Doctrine constitutes material grounds for mortal sin, because it stands in grave violation of: 1) both the letter and spirit of Catholic Social Doctrine; 2) the roots of this Doctrine in the First Com-mandment (idolatry), the Fifth Commandment (scandal), and the Seventh Commandment (theft). We will discuss each point in turn."

and

"Since the right to form labor unions is rooted in the Divine Law, no created law may be invoked to deny, or frustrate, or impede that right."

## Wrong - even the Divine Law can be dispensed; surprisingly, perhaps. The Church does exactly that, by allowing the marriage of those whom the Bible says cannot marry; in small mediaeval communities, this was the only way of avoiding in-breeding. The Torah, which is certainly part of the OT, forbids all sorts of things that no Christian ever bothers with. The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 totally ignored most of the Torah; St. Paul ignored the very clear words of the OT about circumcision. They had authority to do so - and that authority continues in the Church, which is how the Church is able to dispense from the Divine Law. If the Apostles could ignore vast swathes of the Divine Law, so can, and has, the Church after them.

The right "to form labor unions" is not even absolute - if it interferes with more important rights, such as the right to worship God, the more important takes precedence. Breaking a union that tries to deny that greater right, far from being opposed to the First Commandment, is obedience to it.

"Sadly, this is the case with some employers and mangers – and even more sadly, with some Catholic employers or mangers – use the pretext of a long delayed “secret ballot” election, eventually to be conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, to dis-credit the union itself and to intimidate the workers organizing the union and the workers who will be voting. Hence, when employers or managers use the civil law to delay elections for a union in order to undermine workers‟ organizing, and thus to deny workers‟ rights found in Divine Law, such employers or managers stand in grave material violation of the First Commandment.

Concerning the use of civil law to contradict Divine Law, we do well to remember the words of the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: “The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world.” (Par. 2097) Consequently, any agent who prevents workers from forming a union, or who undermines or destroys existing unions, engages in “idolatry of the world” and may be in a state of mortal sin."

## The "idolatry of the world" mentioned in CCC 2097 is being over-extended; it quotes words which are far too vague to make the point intended. What the authors have to show is that union-busting in particular counts as "idolatry of the world" - which is just what they fail to do in the essay. They are on much firmer ground in saying that union-busting is a sin against justice.

"In particular, we note below seven ways that “union-busting,” that is, the blocking, undermining, or destroying of a labor union, constitutes a serious violation of the Seventh Commandment and hence constitutes material for mortal sin.

1. The employer or manager steals the natural right of workers to free association.

## A right is not property, it cannot be stolen, so no theft is committed when it is denied to people entitled to it. A wrong is done - but not the kind called stealing.

"2. The employer or manager steals just wages and benefits from workers and their families.

3. The employer or manager steals institutional funds to employ union avoidance firms to harass, intimidate, and divide workers.

4. The employer or manger steals public tax funds to employ the civil law and its agencies unjust-ly to delay, prevent, or to “bust” unions.

5. The employer or manger steals the moral integrity of those managers or supervisors who be-lieve that workers should be represented by unions in the workplace."

## 5. is not describing theft

"6. The employer or manger steals the time of its workers and managers who are forced to take time away from their work (through mandatory meetings) and their families by spending even-ings, weekends, months, and years struggling for something that employers should welcome from day one: an employee union in the workplace."

## 6. is not describing theft

"7. In the case of Catholic institutions, the employer or manger steals the spirit and the letter

## That is just silly - Catholic Social Teaching is in no sense a person, so it cannot own property, so its property cannot be stolen. This metaphorical use of language undermines a good deal of the essay, which is a pity.

"of Catholic Social Teaching by depriving it of its authentic place in a Catholic institution and of weakening its teaching authority through scandalous behavior.

Further, the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church teaches that “Commutative justice requires the restitution of stolen goods.” (CATECHISM, Par. 2454). Hence, employers and mangers guilty of the above violations are morally obligated to restore lost wages, benefits, rights, time, and dignity to their workers and managers."

## More over-extension of the meaning of words. A single concept, theft, is being used to to do the duty of others as well. If somebody tells a deliberate untruth to damage the repuation of another, he has in a *metaphorical* sense "stolen" that person's reputation. But the sin committed is not theft - it's detraction, slander, or calumny. The essay is using the *metaphorical* sense of words *as though* it were the *proper* sense of words - which is as sensible as translating "It's raining cats and dogs" as "Domestic pets are falling from the sky in great numbers". Talking about a sin metaphorically, disguises what sin is under discussion - someone may be "hungry" for power, but power is not a food in the proper sense of the word, as cheese or an egg is. No one confesses to committing murder, after "murdering" a plate of food. But in the essay, they might as well do
exactly that.

So while some good points are made about sins against justice, the essay as a whole is a bit of a mess.

No need to see your confessor, the republican bishops will absolve any offenders when they see them at the country club.

Can't wait for some bishop to deny communion to a WalMart exec. Yeah, like that'd happen.

Another example of manifestos being substituted as gospels. The "scholars" have not answered this question:

Is corperation busting by unions a mortal sin?

The UAW's actions against General Motors would be a good example of this "sin". Could some unionized workers, maybe even the Teacher's Union, also be commiting the sin of "wage theft"?

The worst offenders are Catholic universities and hospitals. I will refrain from naming names, but I once took a class on managing non-profit institutions and the sister whose order headed a huge network of Catholic hospitals was only interested in preventing the nurses from organizing. The course was offered at a prominent Catholic university which has had its own union busing attempts over the years. Faculty members who supported Catholic social teaching were exiled if religious or forced out if lay even when tenured full professors. To conservative Catholics who dominate the Boards of Trustees the only sin is abortion. Whether hospitals or universities, it is all about power. Gee, something like the Vatican.

It's so easy for academics, without any organizational responsibility, many of whom haven't been to Confession for years, but who always receive Holy Communion whenever they attend Mass, to pontificate on what is or is not a Mortal Sin.

I think I'll find someone else to advise me as what is a Mortal Sin.

These headline-seeking academics might also look up the three conditions for being a Mortal Sin in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Of course it is, but we have become a one issue church.

This is certainly a controversial report, and certainly needs further study. Hopefully, it is not conclusive, and there needs to be a lot of input the trade union movement.

As a life-long member, and long serving on the executive I can verify firsthand that they have abandoned their original objectives. "One for all, and all for one" no longer rings true. They reward their own and select favorites to for advancement.

They engage in political, social and moral issues in which they have no expertise. The leadership has become corrupt, and is interested in only power and control. They have socialist/Marxist leanings. They support many anti-Christian polices such as abortion rights.

The Union movement has not kept up with the times, and is about 50 -60 years behind time.

The hope is that more study and thought go into this statement before it becomes law.

This document certainly should not be considered scholarly as there needs to be a lot more input into the corruption that now pervades the Trade Union Movement.

If more input is not received, it will further embarrass the Catholic Church. The political, social, and moral activities of Unions need to be investigated before arriving at any conclusion.

As a life-long Union member, there is a little more to be added than what this article presents. Many Unions have Marxist/socialist leanings. Most unions support anti-Christian doctrines such as abortion rights and take sides on other controversial social issues, which they have NO EXPERTISE whatsoever.

The union movement has certainly not kept pace with modern times, and has become corrupt to the core. Many take sides with only a select few benefiting. The Trade Union movement is in dire need of overhaul, just as the Church is in need of reform.

I teach in a Catholic elementary school. We have no union...so we are basically at the mercy of our school administration with no checks and balances. Dramatic changes are implemented with no dialogue with teachers...such as changing the length of the work day, changing our classroom/grade placement, adding duties, etc. Our wages are about half of what the public school teachers are paid & we have been working under a salary freeze for 2 years. We have no outlet for grievances & our principal has pointed out that we have 'no union/no recourse'.

I recently tried to speak with our pastor about my concerns... I was told that teachers are not to be included in collobaration on school decisions as this would be 'ruinous' to our school & it would 'blur the lines of authority'. This kind of treatment does not seem to be in line with the Church's teaching on the essential human dignity of the worker. I have committed my entire teaching career of 20 years to Catholic Education & I have dedicated myself to the ministry... it really saddens me to realize that the basic social justice priniciples we preach are not practiced within the Church's own workplace.