Posted by Dave on 08/18/08 at 12:56:02 pm
Categories: Labor

The Catholic church has long been supportive of a worker's right to organize. Bishops, Priests, Nuns, and other Clergy have long been at the front lines along side workers and union organizers, standing up against unfair labor practices, against intimidation of employees, and for the recognition of a union in the workplace.

But what happens when the Catholic Church also owns hospital chains that have workers who want to organize?

We are seeing what happens in California, as St. Joseph’s Health System (SJHS) continues to fight the organizing efforts of its workers.

What makes this even more disturbing is that Mothers of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, which SJHS falls under, is the same order that strongly supported Caesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. They did not just support UFW in word, but they also supported them in action, even having several nuns be arrested in support of Chavez along housing union activists in the 70's.

Now the NLRB has ruled that at there have been at least 35 different labor law violations by SJHS.

SJHS claims that they have no problem with workers organize, while at the same time running an anti-union campaign:

[SJHS] conducted surveillance of employees on their lunch breaks speaking with union representatives, coerced employees who approached the union, and interrogated employees wearing Union pulley pins.

SJHS claims they just want a private ballot election, and they support a worker's right to organize. Yet they continue to run an anti-union campaign. They continue to refuse neutrality (meaning that they would not run a negative campaign).

I guess we see where Catholic social teaching and capitalism collide.

Read more at the NY Times or St. Joe's Healthcare Workers United.

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