Whitmore: fortunate should help poor
By ANDREW THAGARD
News Writer
The Catholic Church's social teachings can make valuable contributions to the living wage debate, said Todd Whitmore, Notre Dame Anti-sweatshop Task Force director and associate professor of theology.
About 50 people attended Whitmore's Monday night lecture titled "The Living Wage in Catholic Teaching: Economic Justice for All." It was the first in a semester-long series on the "Living Wage."
In his lecture, Whitmore presented an overview of Catholic social teaching and an account on the living wage. He also made suggestions as to what the Catholic perspective adds to the issue.
"According to the Pope, this [social justice] is a non-optional part of Catholic teaching," Whitmore said.
He maintained that the Catholic Church has traditionally called for a living wage to serve as a baseline for administering social justice.
"It's important to recognize that the living wage is a minimum condition according to Catholic social teaching. Where there is more, more ought to be given," he said.
However Whitmore was quick to point out that the Catholic Church's perspective does not support socialism or the elimination of private ownership. Rather, he maintained that the creation of a living wage would allow more freedom.
"The same type of democracy we practice in the political sphere can extend to the economic sphere," he said.
Whitmore also suggested that the Catholic Church's position seeks to improve the quality of life and sustain the family.
"It [Catholic teaching] points out that the living wage is a `right to life' [and] a pro-family issue," he said.
Whitmore said that not only the worker but also the family suffer when their salary is below the living wage. He added that this fact was supported by empirical studies, citing the higher infant mortality rate and shorter life spans among lower paid workers and their families compared to their more affluent counterparts.
Lastly, Whitmore stated that Catholic teaching encourages sharing between the more fortunate and those who need help.
"The well off can help meet the living wage by taking less themselves. Private property is a right but it's not an absolute right. You are a steward of that property," he said.
At Notre Dame Whitmore suggested that the University could take a cut in their commission from school apparel if the manufacturing companies agree to do so as well. That money, he maintained, could be funneled toward impoverished factory workers.
He also compared Disney CEO Michael Eisner's $560 million annual salary to the dollar-an-hour wage that Chinese factory workers earn producing Disney brand products.
"There's a point at which you say `that's too much," he said.
More lectures to follow
Arguments for and against the living wage will receive special focus this semester as Notre Dame gears up for a four month-long symposium on the subject.
The 12 lecture series is sponsored by the University's Anti-Sweatshop Task Force, the Program in the Catholic Social Tradition, and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
Economic, global and religious issues will be addressed in support and against the establishment of a living wage both in the United States and abroad.
"We want to raise people's awareness about the issues surrounding the living wage and to do what is possible to see that these issues are worked out. Last year we dealt with a lot of issues regarding sweat shops and we have yet to address the living wage," Whitmore said.
All News Stories for Tuesday, January 23, 2001
