For people of faith, respect for workers’ rights is often deeply grounded in their religious worldview. This weekend, thanks to Interfaith Worker Justice, many of them will be speaking out in their synagogues, churches, and mosques, reminding their friends and families of the ties between social justice and spirituality. Read more » There are now two very good reasons to be excited it’s November 18. One: It’s Owen Wilson’s birthday. Two: It’s the National Day of Action Against Wage Theft. Across the country, corrupt employers are abusing their workers’ rights and finding ways to cheat them out of their proper salary. Wage theft is the pervasive and illegal practice of not paying workers for all of their work. Bosses try to find ways to line their pockets with their employees’ money by refusing to let them take breaks, misclassifying them as independent contractors, or even paying under the minimum wage. Read more »
An organization called Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) works year-round to highlight this very commitment to social and economic justice. IWJ is a labor rights group that organizes the religious community around issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and conditions for workers. The organization strives to give workers—especially those in low-wage jobs—a voice at work and in their communities. Read more » Cross-posted from www.FixOurJobs.org: As our friends at Interfaith Worker Justice point out, “Mother Jones is often quoted as saying, ‘Pray for the Dead, Fight like hell for the Living.’” While all of us continue to hold the victims of the Upper Big Branch mining disaster in our thoughts and prayers, we are also renewing our commitment to stand up for workers’ rights. As has been widely reported, the mine had been repeatedly cited for safety violations:
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