Standing in Solidarity: Religious Activism in Support of Immigrant Workers and their Unions

Abstract:     
Much of contemporary union organizing is done among workers with minimal citizenship rights, making them particularly vulnerable to threats and intimidation by employers. This occurs in the context of the dismantling of federal regulations that once structured union organizing campaigns. In response to these conditions, new forms of community/labor collaborations have emerged. This paper will explore the tremendous growth or religiously constructed labor support groups that are able to lend moral credibility to these union organizing campaigns, mobilize religious activists in support of low wage workers, and rebuild support for low wage workers within local religious communities. The paper will have a particular focus on the work of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) which is active in California. I will argue that where they have been successful, these collaborations are creating new citizenship rights from below.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 10

working papers series