Thou shalt not steal
Every day in communities across the country, unscrupulous employers steal workers’ wages. It might not be a headline-grabbing problem, but ending the injustice of wage theft is a moral issue for many faith-based organizations. Interfaith Worker Justice, along with allied religious groups in over 30 cities, is mobilizing thousands of people of faith tomorrow for the National Day of Action Against Wage Theft to combat the problem. From a rally at the state capitol in Albany, New York, to a protest at a workplace in Cincinnati that steal workers’ wages, to a “Justice Bus” going to Houston businesses that commit wage theft, it’s a multifaceted, creative campaign.
For some background on the issue, here’s a video featuring Interfaith Worker Justice Executive Director Kim Bobo and grassroots advocates calling attention to the shocking scope of the issue:
Faith leaders played a central role in workers’ rights issues such as child labor laws long ago, and are doing likewise now in the fight to ensure that people get a full day’s pay for a hard day’s work. Today, several leaders and organizers of the National Day of Action are speaking on a press conference call detailing the exploitation of workers in their communities and describing what they’re doing to fight it. We’ll have audio of the call on FPL’s home page later today!