Unionized workers a Catholic issue
Julie Hodek
senior
As a member of the Notre Dame-Saint Mary's and South Bend Community, I am deeply troubled by Saint Mary's College's decision to contract the construction of a new maintenance facility to Majority Builders. Saint Mary's has awarded this project to a company that has consistently undermined the rights and dignity of its workers in paying substandard wages.
Notre Dame and Saint Mary's continue to stress an interest in forging strong partnerships with the South Bend Community. However, in choosing Majority Builders, Saint Mary's tacitly endorses the exploitation of local workers. Saint Mary's has placed its own economic interest above the interests of the community and basic human dignity. As Catholics, we have a moral obligation to make economic decisions and investments that enhance economic opportunity, community life and social justice (U.S. Bishops, A Catholic Framework for Economic Life, #9). If we indeed value this community, we must value its working men and women by ensuring that they enjoy a fair wage, safe and healthy working conditions, a right to participate in society and job security.
It seems reasonable that we consider the welfare of our community by patronizing (as we have done in the past) only contractors that honor the fundamental rights and dignity of workers and share our concern for bettering the community ... UNION contractors. As our faith tells us, "(Unions) enable workers to make positive and creative contributions to the firm, the community, and the larger society in an organized and cooperative way" (U.S. Bishops, Economic Justice for All, #304, 1986).
In making decisions we must demonstrate our commitment to the Gospel and our ethic of service and action for justice.
Julie Hodek
senior
Off-Campus
March 26, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Tuesday, March 27, 2001
