Labor in the Pulpits' To Reach 1,000+ Congregations On Weekend

More than 1,000 congregations across the country are inviting union members to speak this weekend as part of the annual Labor Day "Labor in the Pulpits" program. Over the years, "Labor in the Pulpits" has helped thousands of churches, temples and other congregations focus their Labor Day weekend services on injustice in the workplace and how religious communities can help workers fight for a living wage, health care and the freedom to form unions.

CWA President Larry Cohen urged members who aren't already scheduled to speak this weekend to ask their church leader for a few minutes to address the congregation. "The faith community shares our values of compassion and justice, but many people in the pews may not fully understand why the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform are so important," he said. "Your experiences can personalize these issues in a meaningful way."

The CWA communications office wants to know if your local is participating in Labor in the Pulpits. Please e-mail details to news@cwa-union.org by Tuesday, Sept. 8, so we can include them in next week's newsletter. Please send photographs, too.

Allies to Lobby for Employee Free Choice Sept. 10. Supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act from outside the labor movement will be meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Sept. 10. Labor's allies from social justice groups, environmental organizations, faith communities and more will make their pitch for Employee Free Choice. An estimated 250 people from 15 states will make the trip, which is being coordinated by American Rights at Work.

ARAW will mark Labor Day by releasing issuing its fifth annual report, "Labor Day List: Partnerships That Work," on companies that support workers' right to organize. The report will be avaliable at www.araw.org.