Mexican migrant workers pick blueberries during a harvest at a farm in Lake Wales, Florida, in 2020. (OSV News | Marco Bello, Reuters)
A worker uses a shovel at a highway construction site in Stony Brook, N.Y., Aug. 30, 2022. Labor Day is an annual U.S. holiday that celebrates and recognizes the contributions and achievements of American workers. (CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz)
Editior's Note: Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is highlighting the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching as part of its year-long 75th anniversary celebration. This week, the focus is on “the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers.” The Church teaches that the economy must serve people, not the other way around.
CHARLOTTE — Work is more than a way to make money, the Church teaches. The true purpose of work is to promote human dignity, contribute to the common good and participate in God’s creation.
Every person has worth, and work should help fulfill this God-given dignity.
“(T)he vocation that God gives us is so good: to create, to re-create, to work,” Pope Francis has said. “(W)ork is none other than the continuation of God’s work: human work is man’s vocation received from God at the end of the creation of the universe.”
All jobs are important and should be respected, no matter how “low” or “high” they may seem.
However, the pope adds, working conditions must be safe and just, and the dignity of all workers must be respected.
“Every injustice inflicted on a person who works tramples on human dignity; and also the dignity of the one who does this injustice,” he said.
If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must also be respected – the right to productive work, to fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.
Fair pay and respect for all workers, regardless of their job or status, is essential. Also essential are safe and just working conditions, as well as having a healthy work-life balance.
The Church promotes fair wages and protection of workers’ rights, and all Catholics are encouraged to support and advocate for the right to employment, fair wages and respectful treatment of all workers.
In a Labor Day statement earlier this month, the U.S. bishops repeated the call for Catholics to “recommit ourselves to building together a society that honors the human dignity of all who labor.”
Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who respectively chair the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Committee on Migration, said, “Our faith calls us to pray, work and advocate for protections that allow all laborers to thrive.”
Citing Scripture, Catholic social teaching and papal encyclicals, they pointed to the Church’s “long history of proclaiming the essential role labor plays in helping people to live out their human dignity” as children of God.
That dignity is threatened by a number of factors, they said – including low wages, declining union representation, lack of protection for immigrant laborers and the erosion of child labor laws.
“We know it does not have to be this way,” they said.
Amid such threats to human dignity, the Catholic Church “offers a vision for the future that does not require our society to choose between a thriving economy, economic justice, dignified conditions for all workers, and safeguarding the most vulnerable among us,” they said, adding, “Let us strive without ceasing to protect the sacredness of human life and together build a society that respects and uplifts each person’s human dignity.”
How does Catholic Charities help?
Credit: PexelsCatholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte leads several efforts to help people find employment, including its Refugee Resettlement Employment Services, which helps adult refugees, asylum-seekers and qualified immigrants find and keep jobs.
The staff provides counseling to get clients ready for work, helps them find job openings, and supports them after they get a job.
When refugees first arrive, Catholic Charities staff shows them what the local work environment is like and makes a plan to help them get hired.
The staff also works closely with businesses in the Charlotte area to find the best jobs for participants and offer support to ensure job retention.
The Refugee Resettlement program also provides training to help refugees understand the American work culture – covering essential topics such as how to look for a job, how to apply, how to do well in an interview, and how to succeed in an American workplace.
— David Long. OSV News contributed.
Get involved with Catholic Charities
Join Catholic Charities in its mission to help those in need and spread the love of Christ:
Learn More: Visit ccdoc.org to discover how Catholic Charities is making a difference in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Find Help: If you or someone you know needs assistance, Catholic Charities is here to support you. Visit ccdoc.org/services for information.
Donate: Consider donating to Catholic Charities at ccdoc.org/donate. Your generous contribution can change lives.
Volunteer: Make a direct impact by volunteering with Catholic Charities. Learn more about volunteer opportunities at ccdoc.org/volunteer.