Religion-Labor Movement Reborn
National Religion-Labor Conference Focused on Worker Rights

Los Angeles– A cross section of civil rights forerunners, national religious and labor leaders from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds, including AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Roger Cardinal Mahony, and Southern Christian Leadership Conference President Emeritus Dr. Joseph Lowery, converged in Los Angeles today for the "Forging Partnerships for the New Millennium: A National Religion-Labor Conference" October 8-10.

The conference brought key union and religious organizers together to finalize a unified religion-labor worker justice plan to be announced Sunday at the conference conclusion. In bringing some of the best minds together, the conference marks an historic rebirth of the religion-labor movement that helped chart the course of American history. During the conference, the rich diversity of both the religious and labor community were present to affirm shared values, and showcase effective models and programs for low-wage workers.

Among attendees are about twenty-five seminarian students from throughout the United States who committed to advancing the plight of low-wage workers in the new millennium. These future religious leaders will stay in LA after the conference to serve as observers for two days of the AFL-CIO convention.

"The U.S. economy is rapidly growing, but many American workers are experiencing labor pains because outlaw industries refuse to treat workers with dignity and respect," said Bishop Jesse DeWitt, president of the Interfaith Worker Justice.

"Instead of standing still as workers cry out for justice, industries should be walking in the path of righteousness and fairness. We have brought some of the best minds in both the religious and labor communities to develop initiatives to lift up low-wage workers," he said. "All religions believe in justice. That's why we are calling on all religious communities, unions, and people of goodwill to join us in chorus demanding that people receive the fruits of their labor."

The Forging Partnerships Conference, sponsored by the Interfaith Worker Justice & AFL-CIO and hosted locally by Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice and LA County Federation of Labor. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, and IWJ President Bishop Jesse DeWitt and a host of inter religious, multiracial leaders who spoke about what their faiths traditions say about worker justice.

The plan, defined by conference participants, sets for the objective for assisting workers in various industries, including those on farms, poultry and other meat-packing industries, in sweatshops (at home and abroad), hotel and restaurant, construction, health care industries, and temporary/day workers. Participants identified ways to respond to the racism, challenge union busting, and strengthen the overall commitment of religious denominations to helping low-wage workers. The plan also includes ways to support living wage campaigns, building global partnerships and strengthen the 45 local interfaith groups throughout the country.

The conference featured presentations by Bishop McKinley Young, African Methodist Episcopal church; Rev. Paul Sherry, president of United Church of Christ; Monsignor George Higgins; Rebbi Leonard Beerman of Leo Baeck Temple; Miguel Contreras, executive secretary-treasurer of LA County Federation of Labor; Bishop DeWitt, president of IWJ; Dr. Muzzammel Siddiqui, president of Islamic Society of North America; Dr. Joseph Lowery, president emeritus of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and others.

Interfaith Worker Justice is a non-profit organization that calls upon religious values in order to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers, especially low-wage workers. The conference is being held at the Biltmore Hotel at 506 Grand Ave. After the conference, the organization can be reached at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60660; (773) 728-8400; (773) 728-8409 (fax); E-mail: info@iwj.org.