wfn.org | Press release: UCC president's statement on minimum wage

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UCC president releases statement supporting minimum wage hike

March 7, 2000
Office of Communication
United Church of Christ
Pat Conover, press contact
212-543-1517
conoverp@ucc.org
On the Web: <http://www.ucc.org>

United Church of Christ president releases statement
joining other religious leaders in call for minimum wage increase

     CLEVELAND -- The President of the United Church of Christ today (March
7) released a statement supporting a letter sent by 18 religious leaders to
President Clinton and Congress urging that the minimum wage be increased $1
over the next two years.
     
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=93I am pleased to join with the other 17 leaders of denominations and
national religious organizations who have sent a letter to President
Clinton and to Congress calling for an increase in the minimum wage in =
two
50 cent increments, starting this year,=94 said the Rev. John H. Thomas=
.
=93This legislation has already been delayed for more than a year, and =
those
who call for further delays in increasing the minimum wage should conce=
de
they have already won that victory and move the process forward
expeditiously.=94
     In the letter,  the 18 religious leaders said, =93So many of the w=
orking
poor are in deep pain because of lack of sufficient income to provide f=
or
themselves and their families.  We believe ... that increasing the mini=
mum
wage by $1 over two years would be one of the most compassionate and
effective ways of responding to that pain.=94
     Thomas said that increasing the minimum wage is about overcoming
poverty, but it also is about =93respect for the important work done fo=
r our
society by those who are paid least.=94
     =93Increasing the minimum wage is one way our nation sends the mes=
sage
that their work and their well being matter,=94 said Thomas.
     The United Church of Christ, with national offices in Cleveland, h=
as
more than 1.4 million members and some 6,000 local congregations in the=

United States and Puerto Rico.  It was formed by the 1957 union of the
Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Chur=
ch.

###

[EDITORS: Here is the complete text of the statement released by the Re=
v.
John H. Thomas, President of the United Church of Christ, supporting
increasing the minimum wage.]

=93I am pleased to join with the other 17 leaders of denominations and
national religious organizations who have sent a letter to President
Clinton and to congress calling for an increase in the minimum wage in =
two
50 cent increments starting this year.  This legislation has already be=
en
delayed for over a year and those who call for further delays in increa=
sing
the minimum wage should concede they have already won that victory and =
move
the process forward expeditiously.

=93The proposal to increase the financial value of the minimum wage is
certainly about overcoming poverty but it is equally about respect for =
the
important work done for our society by those who are paid least.  Child=

care workers and hospital attendants, for example, are often among our
lowest income workers and yet it so important to our health and to the
development or our children that they do their work well.  Increasing t=
he
minimum wage is one way our nation sends the message that their work an=
d
their well being matter.

=93Jesus was well acquainted with the burdened life of exploited worker=
s.  He
said, =91Come to me, all whose work is hard, whose load is heavy; and I=
 will
give you relief.  Bend your necks to my yoke, and learn from me, for I =
am
gentle and humble-hearted; and your souls will find relief.  For my yok=
e is
good to bear, my load is light=92 (Matthew 11:28-30, NEB).  This beauti=
ful
statement from Jesus is not only a hymn of solidarity with those who
contribute so much and are appreciated so little, it is a challenge to
those who make policies to step away from competitive rhetoric and
attitudes and attend to reweaving the fabric of social solidarity which=

must ultimately be based in equity and in caring for one another.

=93Our statement as religious leaders is focused solely on increasing t=
he
minimum wage and that is as it should be.  There is no need to for any
trade-offs which benefit the wealthy because low-income workers would b=
e
helped.  Instead, those most wealthy among us should realize that
increasing the minimum wage is good for the economy and eases the need =
for
government based low-income benefits.  God has arranged the world so th=
at
justice is, at least in the long run, is good for all and an increase i=
n
the minimum wage is an excellent illustration of this principle.=94

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