Archbishop Listecki and Union Protests

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki has commented on the union protests in Madison.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki on Wednesday described Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to limit the rights of public employee unions as "union busting," and in a statement he said there is a "moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers.”

Listecki, who was installed as archbishop on Jan. 4, 2010, said in a letter to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee that, "this much needed call for cooperation and communication between workers and management comes as opposition to Gov. Walker’s union busting budget continues to grow."

Whoa.

As a Catholic and graduate of Catholic schools, I respectfully ask that the Archbishop address the "moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers" in Catholic schools.

They work for dramatically less in salary and benefits than public school employees. They have no union. Why isn't the Archbishop speaking up for them?

There's a striking inconsistency there, bordering on hypocrisy.

I also think using the term "union busting" is unfair.

Furthermore, he certainly should understand the difficulties of being responsible for an institution facing dire economic woes.

Scott Walker doesn't have the option of declaring the state of Wisconsin bankrupt. Of course, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee under Archbishop Listecki took the bankruptcy route to manage its fiscal problems.

Notice how the media, like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other liberal outlets, reliable anti-Walker "willing partners," are running to dispense information attacking Scott Walker's proposals.

The Packers oppose Walker.

The Archbishop and the Catholic Church oppose Walker.

Who's next?

It's interesting that the Journal Sentinel considers Archbishop Listecki's remarks on the protests to have merit considering that the news outlet is usually bent on criticizing him.

Hypocrites.
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Read Archbishop Listecki's statement:

Statement Regarding the Rights of Workers and the Value of Unions

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki, archbishop of Milwaukee and president of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, has issued the following statement regarding the rights of workers and the value of unions.

February 16, 2011

The Church is well aware that difficult economic times call for hard choices and financial responsibility to further the common good. Our own dioceses and parishes have not been immune to the effects of the current economic difficulties. But hard times do not nullify the moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers. As Pope Benedict wrote in his 2009 encyclical, Caritas in veritate:

Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labor unions. Hence traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church's social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum [60], for the promotion of workers' associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past, as a prompt and far-sighted response to the urgent need for new forms of cooperation at the international level, as well as the local level. [#25]
It does not follow from this that every claim made by workers or their representatives is valid. Every union, like every other economic actor, is called to work for the common good, to make sacrifices when required, and to adjust to new economic realities.

However, it is equally a mistake to marginalize or dismiss unions as impediments to economic growth. As Pope John Paul II wrote in 1981, “[a] union remains a constructive factor of social order and solidarity, and it is impossible to ignore it.” (Laborem exercens #20, emphasis in original)

It is especially in times of crisis that “new forms of cooperation” and open communication become essential. We request that lawmakers carefully consider the implications of this proposal and evaluate it in terms of its impact on the common good. We also appeal to everyone –lawmakers, citizens, workers, and labor unions – to move beyond divisive words and actions and work together, so that Wisconsin can recover in a humane way from the current fiscal crisis.