Organizing for Economic Justice

on Long Island

An Advocacy Tool Kit

For Faith, Community-Service and Union Leaders

By Richard Koubek, PhD

Community Outreach Coordinator

Long Island Jobs with Justice

March, 2011

For an electronic version of this tool kit contact Dr. Richard Koubek at:

rkmicahli@gmail.com

631-499-6725

For more information on Long Island Jobs with Justice go to www.li-jwj.org or contact Charlene Obernauer, Executive Director at:

lijwj01@gmail.com  631-348-1170, X310

Introduction

One fifth of Long Island households do not enjoy economic security.  They earn under $46,000 a year, which is the true poverty level for a family of four in our affluent, high-cost region.  The federal government’s official definition of poverty for a family of four is only $22,050.  According to the Adelphi University Vital Signs 2009 study, these struggling Long Island workers are “largely hidden from view” living in “concentrated pockets of poverty, food insecurity, homelessness …”  According to a 2010 LI Cares/Island Harvest study, 285,000 Long Islanders seek help at food pantries each year – almost half of them working poor people. Most of these workers do not belong to a union and they face intense opposition if they try to organize for their rights. Yet, the U.S. Department of Labor has shown that unionized workers earn 30 percent more than their non-unionized counterparts and are much more likely to have health insurance, paid vacations and other benefits. 

Long Island’s religious congregations and human-service agencies have a long and proud history of charitable works: feeding, clothing, sheltering and comforting working-poor people on Long Island who do not earn enough to make ends meet. These organizations, particularly religious congregations, are rooted in the communities they serve and are uniquely positioned to advocate for and with low-wage workers for public policies that address the causes of poverty on Long Island. Religious congregation and human-service agencies, allied with labor unions and other worker organizations, as well as working-poor people themselves, have unique moral and political standing. They have the potential to become a powerful coalition of conscience that addresses systemic injustices like low wages, anti-union policies or insufficient funding for government supportive services such as Food Stamps that cause poverty and economic insecurity on Long Island.

This Long Island Jobs with Justice tool kit, Organizing for Economic Justice on Long Island, can be used by congregations, community-service agencies and unions to train their members to become this community of conscience in partnership with each other for economic justice.

The tool kit can be used in the following ways:

1.     It contains six camera-ready inserts for congregational bulletins or agency newsletters to educate members about the extent of poverty on Long Island and how unions are a path out of poverty.

2.     It has specific actions to help religious congregations organize their members to influence government decision makers and advocate for economic justice for Long Island’s working poor families.

3.     It explains how religion and labor are share core values and how they can organize together to defend, advance and secure workers’ rights.

4.     It can be used as a discussion guide (see page 19)  to form a social justice or advocacy committee in your congregation, agency or union.

Organizing for Economic Justice on Long Island

An Advocacy Tool Kit

For Faith, Community-Service and Union Leaders

Contents                                                                                                 Page

Part I. Why We Need to Organize for Economic Justice

·        Bulletin Insert #1:  Working But Still Poor

             … and Hungry on Long Island                                               4

·        Bulletin Insert #2:  20% of Long Islanders are Working

             But Still Poor                                                             5

·        Bulletin Insert #3: Try Living on This $46,000 Budget              6

·        Bulletin Insert #4: Working But Still Poor?

             ...The Union Difference                                                       7

Part II: The Politics of Economic Justice

·        The Two Feet of Faith-Based Service… Charity and Justice                  8

·        A LI Advocacy Agenda for Economic Justice                              9

·        Do People of Faith Have Political Power?                                        10

·        Scoring Political Activism: How Active a Citizen Are You?          11

·        Tips on How to Talk to People With Power                                      12

·        Tips on How to Write an Elected Official                                 13

·        What Political Actions are Congregations and Non-Profit

            Agencies Legally Permitted to Do?                                       14

·        Tips on How to Organize Your Congregation for Advocacy         15

Part III. Labor and Religion in Defense of Workers’ Rights

·        Religious Statements on Unions                                             16                                       

·        Bulletin Insert #5:  Difficulties Faced By Workers Who

           Try to Form Unions                                                            17

·        Bulletin Insert #6: You Can Help New York State

          Farm Workers Get Basic Rights                                            18

Part IV: Discussion Guide                                                                       19

 Bulletin Insert #1: Why We Need to Organize for Economic Justice

 On February 3, 2010, Island Harvest and Long Island Cares released the Long Island section of a national study, Hunger in America 2010. The study reported that 283,700 (one in 10) Long Islanders sought help at a food pantry or soup kitchen in one year, a 21% increase since the last hunger study was released in 2006. About 64,900 different clients receive emergency food assistance in any given week. Almost half live in households with one working person. Here are some key findings: 

WHO RECEIVES EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE ON LI?

·         39% are under 18 years old (110,643 children.)

·         74% are food insecure, according to the U.S. government’s official food security scale; 37% have very low food security.

·         One study showed that food pantries did not prevent hunger:

·          34% of clients had times when they were hungry but could not eat;

·          33% skipped a meal or cut the size of their meals;

·          42% of the children did not eat enough and 12% skipped meals.

MANY CLIENTS HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES

·         47% had to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities/heat.

·         49% had to choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage. 

·         36% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care.

MANY LI CLIENTS ARE IN POOR HEALTH

·         30% of households had at least one household member in poor health.

Read the complete study at  www.islandharvest.org or www.licares.org

Bulletin Insert #2: Why We Need to Organize for Economic Justice

·         While the federal government defines poverty for a family of four as an income of $22,050, research has shown that the “true poverty level” for Long Island, due to our high cost of living, is $46,000 a year. 

·         Other studies have show that a LI family of four requires between $55,000-$75,000 a year to make ends meet.

·         Using the federal government’s  “official” definition, about 5% of LI families are “poor” compared with a US poverty level of about 15%

·          But almost 20% of Long Island families are poor, using the $46,000 “true poverty level” definition.

·         The average salary for the 25 most-in-demand jobs in Suffolk in 2000 was only $11.69 an hour ($15.20 today adjusted for inflation) or only about $30,000 a year.

·         Long Islanders leaving welfare for work earn, on average, only about $11.00 an hour, which is close to the federal poverty level for a family of four.

·         40% of LI homeowners and 47% of renters are spending more than 35% of their income on housing. Many, especially renters, are spending 50% of their income on housing. (Note: 35% is the standard of family income that should be spent on housing costs)

(Sources: US Census, American Fact Finder, 2010; The Self Sufficiency Standard for New York, 2010; Poverty Amid Plenty, Richard Koubek, PhD, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rockville Centre, 2001)

Bulletin Insert #3: Why We Need to Organize for Economic Justice

Source: Based on Poverty Amid Plenty, Richard Koubek, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rockville Centre, 2001, adjusted to 2010 costs.
Bulletin Insert #4: Why We Need to Organize for Economic Justice

Too many Long Islanders are hungry because they work but don’t earn enough to make ends meet. Unions are a path out of their poverty, especially for women and minority workers.  Union workers earn 30% more than their non-unionized counterparts.  Many historians argue that unions created America’s middle class. Here’s how unions make a difference:

Workers’ Benefits/Wages                              Union               Non-Union

·         Workers with job-provided health insurance       79%                      52%

·         Workers with guaranteed (defined

        benefits) pensions                                          77%                    20%

·         Workers with paid personal leave                       57%                     38%

·         Average days of paid vacation days                             15                         11.75

·         Median weekly earnings                                     $886                     $691

·         Women’s median weekly earnings                      $809                     $615

·         African American’s median weekly earnings        $720                     $564

·         Hispanic’s median weekly earnings                     $733                     $512

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Union Members in 2008, Jan. 28, 2009; National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March, 2008, August 2008; Economic Policy Institute; Employee Benefits Research Institute

Federal Food Stamps Program

Nassau                                                                                                                 Suffolk                                
Health & Welfare Council of Long Island                               Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rockville Centre
Phone:  516-483-1110 ext 431                                                     Phone:  631-789-9546

Food Pantries or Soup Kitchens

Find a pantry or soup kitchen near you at: www.crdbli.org/topic_food.http

 Child Health Plus or Family Health Plus Low-Cost Health Insurance

Health and Welfare Council of Long Island: 516-483-1110, X428

Subsidized Child Care for Low and Moderate Income Families

Nassau                                                                                                 Suffolk

Child Care Council of Nassau: 516-358-9288                         Child Care Council of Suffolk: 631-462-0303

Financial Assistance Paying Energy Bills

HEAP grants to help income-eligible people pay energy costs. 

Nassau: 516-565-4327                    Suffolk: 631-853-8825

Section 8 Voucher for Subsidized Rental Housing

Nassau County                                                                                 Suffolk County

Office of Housing and Homeless Services                            Community Development Corporation of LI

 (516) 572-0815                                                                  631-471-1215

We Americans often say, “You can’t fight city hall.” It’s sad that one of the world’s founding democracies now has so many people who feel they don’t have enough power to influence government leaders.  Our voter turnout is among the lowest of the industrial nations: only about 50% of us vote in presidential elections; 30% in Congressional elections; 10% in school board elections.

For people of faith, there is an additional complication: we think that the First Amendment’s separation of church and state prevents us from bringing our faith into politics.  Not so, as explained on page 14 of this tool kit, religious congregations can take political action so long as it is not partisan (e.g., Democratic or Republican Party) activity.

So what power do people of faith have in the public square?  Consider:

·         Standing: Many congregation members have first-hand knowledge of the problems faced by the poor people they serve in their food pantries and outreach centers.  Their charitable experiences – and the respect that their religious values command – give them moral and political standing as advocates for social justice: they know what policies will help the people they serve.

·         Numbers: While the media often focuses on the drop-off in religious attendance in our secular society, in fact, congregations still reach an enormous audience.  For example, about 300,000 Roman Catholics (Long Island’s largest denomination) attend Mass on any given Sunday. They live and vote in the districts of elected officials and, if organized, they can add a powerful moral voice to public-policy debates in the halls of government.

·         Education: Through their pulpits and weekly bulletins, congregations can educate tens of thousands of Long Islanders about poverty and how their faith calls them to do both works of charity and the politics of justice to alleviate the suffering of poor people.

Scoring your political activism:                      Note: Only about 10% of Americans are “politically                                                                                    active” meaning they would score  between 9 and 12

0-4       Very Inactive                                                

5-8       Somewhat Inactive

9-12     Somewhat Active

13-16   Very Active

Pre-meeting “jitters” are normal.  Here are a few tips as you go into the visit:

How do I get started?

ü      Introduce yourself and the congregation or agency (his/her constituents) you represent.

ü      Open with a summary of your key concerns. (Let the team leader do this.)

ü      Be formal (public).  Don’t be seduced by private (personal) flattery, etc.

What are my credentials?

ü      Don’t overstate your power base: you do not speak for the entire organization.

ü      Yet, you do represent the positions of many Long Island people of faith and community-service agencies.  (E.g., sociologist Alan Wolfe, in his study of suburban political attitudes, found both sympathy and support for working poor people.)

Do I know enough to speak on these issues?

ü      The values you articulate can be more important and persuasive than technical policy details.

ü      Your experience serving the poor is powerful testimony.  Tell stories of real people you have served in your congregation or agency in his/her district.

How do I get my point across?

ü      The passion of your delivery may be more persuasive than your eloquence.

ü      Try to maintain a conversational rather than argumentative tone.

ü      Try to find common ground with the elected official or his/her aide – in either values or policy details.  (E.g., “We’re talking about helping people who work 40 hours a week for poverty wages.  Don’t you agree that we should support them?”)

How do I stay on message and what do I ask for?

ü      Stay focused on the key issues YOU want to raise.

ü      Politely move the legislator away from tangents. If he/she “filibusters” – i.e., talks endlessly – politely interrupt and bring the conversation back to your issue.

ü      Be assertive, not aggressive; be respectful, not deferential.

ü      Any public policy conversation will contain disagreement.  Don’t take it personally!

ü      Ask for specific action, e.g., to support and/or co-sponsor the bill.

Politicians tell us that each individual letter counts for 40 voters.

ü      It is best to write to the district office rather than the Albany or Washington office where there can be delays in delivering your letter.

ü      Hand-written letters are preferable to form letters that are preferable to petitions or post cards that are preferable to e-mails.

ü      Congregations can be very effective collecting letters after services and hand delivering them to the elected official’s office.  Ask for an appointment to see, preferably the elected official or, if necessary, an aide, to deliver the letters and discuss the issue.

ü      Write or type the letter clearly.

ü      Include your name, address and telephone number.

ü      Be brief, be thoughtful, be personal. Share your knowledge and experience with the issue.  If you work with poor people, tell a story.

ü      Be specific and confine your letter to one topic. Cite the bill number or title.  Ask for specific action (e.g., voting for and/or co-sponsoring the bill.)

ü      Mention any groups or communities that you belong to. There is strength in numbers.

ü      Be courteous and express appreciation for something positive that the elected official has done in the past.

ü      Try to keep the letter to one page.

ü      Ask for a response.

Nearly every religion teaches compassion for the poor, but how can we tell the difference between advocacy on behalf of neighbors in need, which is always right, and partisan politics, which not-for-profits must avoid? How can your congregation stay out of trouble in an election year, when candidates and their supporters want you to aid their campaigns? Houses of worship (and clergy acting in their official capacity) and non-profit agencies cannot legally support or oppose any particular party or candidate for office. They may support social justice, but should not:

·        endorse candidates from the pulpit or in congregational newsletters, either explicitly or implicitly, not even their own members who are running for office;

·        distribute campaign information that favors one party or candidate, even a member of the congregation;

·        post signs on their property that favor or oppose any party or candidate;

·        organize voter registration or get-out-the-vote efforts for the purpose of electing any given party or candidate;

·        raise money for a candidate or party;

·        provide membership lists to candidates, even if the candidate is a member of the congregation.

·        invite a candidate to speak during an election season without providing a comparable opportunity to his or her opponents;

·        rent your building to a campaign.

Doing any of these things puts your tax exemption at risk and alienates people who respect the law. Even some things that may be legal--inviting elected officials to preach during their campaign or giving a candidate an award shortly before an election--are still bad ideas.

Houses of worship ( and non-profit agencies) can and should:

·        take positions that reflect their values on public policy, including legislation, through public education, petitions, letter-writing, and meetings with elected officials;

·        organize non-partisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives;

·        encourage members to volunteer as poll watchers on Election Day;

·        host candidate forums, at least if all candidates are invited and the format favors no candidate or party. If you cannot invite those who disagree with your faith community’s position on an issue, don’t hold a forum.

Many religious traditions call for acts of both charity (individual service) and justice (advocacy for structural change.)  This is illustrated by the Christian Biblical story of the Good Samaritan (charity) and the Hebrew Exodus story (justice.)  The Catholic, Protestant and Jewish traditions in particular have a long history of raising a “prophetic voice” in the public square, calling on government leaders to, in Hebrew, “tikkun olam” or fix a broken world.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the embodiment of this prophetic tradition in our time.

Nevertheless, many clergy and many congregants are wary about mixing religion and politics.  Here are some suggestions for getting started in your congregation:

1.   Use this tool kit for an group discussion on “Perusing Economic Justice on Long Island.”  Even if four or five people show up, they could become your congregation’s social justice committee. See page 19 for the guide.

2.   If your clergyperson is inclined to the work of justice, ask him or her to identify congregants interested in social justice issues  who can be personally invited to the “Perusing Economic Justice on Long Island”  discussion.

3.   Include prayers for poor and hungry people on Long Island in your weekly service. Go to the website of Interfaith Worker Justice (www.iwj.org) for excellent prayers.

4.   Publish the six inserts in this advocacy tool kit in your congregational bulletin. This is best done by working through the clergy leader of your congregation and the staff person who is responsible for the bulletin.

5.   Be sure that you are on the e-mail list of Long Island Jobs with Justice by contacting Dr. Richard Koubek at rkmicahli@gmail.com so you can receive Long Island faith-based advocacy resources and actions including bulletin inserts and public-policy updates.

6.   Organize a voter registration drive after services.  The materials can be obtained at the county board of elections.

7.   When called upon, organize a letter-collection drive after services. One such drive yielded 3,000 letters Island-wide in a single weekend. Politicians tell us that each letter counts for forty voters! To collect letters effectively:

·     Get the approval of your clergy leader.

·     If possible, publish briefing notes in your bulletin in advance of the letter collection, explaining why this policy issue is of concern to your faith community.  Frame the policy notes in religious terms. (Jobs with Justice will provide you with these briefing notes.)

·     Jobs with Justice will provide you with the sample letter. Publish the letter in your bulletin the week before and make an announcment calling the congregation’s attention to the letter that will be collected the following week.

·     Have your justice committee set up a collection table that does not block the passageway into or out of the worship area. Have pens available.

·     Have copies of the letter sorted by legislator (many congregations are represented by several elected officials.)

·     Make an appointment to visit the legislator to deliver the letters and explain your position.