Throughout scripture, God orders life together based on right relationships, shared resources and economic justice. Just as the Hebrew prophets decried poverty and growing wealth disparity, so too we are called to speak out and work to build an economy that values work and honors the dignity of all workers.
There are 800 million people around the world who live on less than $2 per day. The federal minimum wage in the United States has been frozen since 2009. Accounting for inflation, this is lower today than it was in 1968, even as the gap between the pay of company executives and their average workers continues to increase.
We recognize the particular vulnerabilities of migrant workers – often not afforded legal protections or unable to access legal recourse because of their immigration status. Despite the success of farm-worker-led campaigns, too often farm workers in the United States remain vulnerable to wage theft and oppressive conditions.
As a church we remain committed to advocating alongside workers and to addressing the unconscionable persistence of child and forced labor. And as participants in the economy, we seek to understand our connection, our complicity and our power to challenge and transform these realities.
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