Pro-union clergy voices enter Wisconsin debate
The pro-union rallies in Wisconsin have a retro feel to
them—particularly for people of faith. At one time clergy and
faith-based groups were on the front lines of the American labor
movement, but priorities shifted with the rise of the religious right
and the weakening of unions.
In the Wisconsin protests over
Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal that would reduce collective
bargaining rights for teachers and other public-sector employees,
however, religious voices have reentered the fray.
Groups like
Faith in Public Life and Interfaith Worker Justice have mobilized
coalitions that include Protestants and Muslims, in addition to
Catholics and Jews, who dominated pro-union efforts in previous
generations.
