Labor Committee—2004

The MICAH Labor Committee has been "doing what is just". The Labor committee has been building power through strengthening relationships with allies in the field of labor.

In the past year, the Labor committee has worked with SEIU Local 150 in assisting homecare workers to achieve a collective bargaining agreement. We continue to work closely with SEIU Local 150 in a new organizing drive.

The Labor committee has also been working with allies to support building custodians in the US Bank Center. A new management company has received the contract from the bank and, despite giving assurances of maintaining jobs to the union, the management company has significantly reduced staff, causing many physical ailments among remaining staff due to overwork.

As also with the MICAH Jobs and Economic Committee, the Labor Committee has been heavily engaged with the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition. The coalition has been urging a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for almost two years now to ensure: prevailing wages in construction, an apprenticeship program, first source hiring from those areas of the city experiencing the highest rates of unemployment, an affordable housing. The Labor committee feels that it is unjust for developers to receive significant public subsidies without having to adhere to these requirements.

The MICAH Labor Committee also endorses the Milwaukee "Clean Clothes" campaign which urges institutions and individuals to make every attempt to purchase only that clothing not produced in either "Sweat Shops" or by slave labor. The Archdiocese and MPS athletics are among the groups supporting this effort. Organizational clothing such as T shirts should be considered carefully before purchase. A list is available on the MICAH website, under the Labor tab, of outlets selling “clean clothes.”