LAT: Labor and Religion Reunite (seminarians spread union gospel)

[DeepModem Mom]

Labor and Religion Reunite
The AFL-CIO is sending forth seminary students to shore up the waning clout of unions by reviving the connection with a traditional ally.

By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer


ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The office manager pressed forward, glowering, his muscles straining the seams of his pinstriped suit. "I'm asking you to step outside," he said.

The nine men and women who had taken over the lobby of AlliedBarton Security Services did not budge.

Rabbinical student clasped hands with Islamic scholar and Methodist seminarian. Heads bowed, eyes closed, they sang "Amazing Grace." And prayed that the security guards employed here would join the Service Employees International Union.

Struggling to regain power and prestige for the sagging labor movement, the AFL-CIO has hired more than three dozen aspiring ministers, imams, priests and rabbis to spread the gospel of union organizing across the nation this summer.

The program seeks to recreate the historic partnership between faith and labor, an alliance that for nearly a century gave union leaders an aura of moral authority — and their cause the stamp of divine righteousness....


http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-union17jul17,1,2284962,full.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[wli]

1. excellent, bring religious types into the fold

Exactly the kind of thing we need for the Democrats.

[oscar111]

3. Jesus "sell all and give the money to the poor"

luke 18:22

superceedes anything in the old testament. More authoritative than any words of disciples in their gospel books.

[Fovea]

2. I know some wiccan priests and priestesses

that would be proud to join this effort.

[PeachyDem88]

4. Nice...

I love hearing stuff like this.
Labor needs to fight harder than ever...

It is no disadvantage to the AFL-CIO that Jesus was a raving socialist.

:D

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Thanks for posting, Peachy -- welcome to DU!

:D