1 Samuel 8:4-22

When you read Samuel’s warnings, what impression do you get of kings? The phrase, “he will take”, is repeated again and again. What do you think motivates the kings actions? How will the people’s lives be impacted in this dynamic? Given the impact, why do you think the people continue to pursue these political and economic arrangements?

The history of Israel and Judah attests that having a King like all the nations around them was a mixed bag. A few of them were good and led the nation toward justice; but many more were destructive. Even Solomon, often considered the pinnacle of the Israelite monarchy, used slave labor and forced labor for many of his building projects.

What parallels do you see between the Samuel’s warning and our current political and economic arrangements? How does the profit motive or the power motive impact the ‘average Joe’ in our economic system?

Governor Cuomo, you try living on minimum wage!  The New York Times has an editorial opinion about the governor’s minimum wage proposals.  It’s not exactly a thumbs up.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

At the celebration of First Fruits, the people are to bring a basket filled with the abundance of their new home. Part of the ritual is remembering the story of their slavery in Egypt, God’s acts of liberation and the provision of abundance in the land of promise.   This is the story of a victory in the struggle for worker justice. What other stories of victory in the struggle for worker justice have you heard in your lifetime? What struggles for justice are still being fought? How does the story the Hebrews told at First Fruits encourage you in the midst of today’s battle for worker justice?

There is no devotional for Sunday, March 15. However, you’re welcome to read Psalm 136—a song that tells the story of God’s faithful love expressed through creation and liberation—as an act of worship.

Exodus 6:1-13

Things aren’t going so well for Moses. Morale is low and the stakes are high. Pharaoh never listened and now the Hebrews have stopped listening (note the difference between their first response to Moses in Ex. 4:29-31 and now). Why do you think the Hebrews’ attitude has changed? Has Moses changed? Has God changed? What keeps you fighting for justice and righteousness when there is no hard evidence that anything will change? How is God’s “mighty hand” a source of encouragement to you?

Exodus 5:6-23

Pharaoh’s response to Moses’ attempt to organize is to increase the workload without reducing output quotas. What do you think Pharaoh is trying to accomplish with this tactic? What are some of the results? How does Pharaoh’s tactics impact Moses’ ability to organize? Threats and intimidation are often tools used to oppress workers. Have you ever experienced this? How did you feel? What are some other tactics that are used to threaten workers?

Have you ever thought that low-wage workers were simply lazy?  If so, where do you think that attitude came from?  Are people really lazy or are our productivity expectations unrealistic?

Kimball Avenue Church and the People’s Tribune present

Worker Justice Symposium

Saturday, March 28, 2015, 1 pm

Logan Square Library, 3030 W. Fullerton Ave.

If you care about worker justice….  Link to the poster for all the details.

WJ Symposium Poster

Exodus 5:1-5

Moses and Aaron’s first labor negotiation with Pharaoh was a request for a 3-day vacation? How did it go?   Why did Pharaoh reject the request?   What does Pharaoh’s response tell you about the power dynamics in the room? How would Pharaoh’s granting of a vacation request shift the balance of power and undermine the system? Have you ever felt controlled by the labor system? When?

On March 8, Fortune magazine, posted an article about the power of the Fight For $15 campaign to raise minimum wages.  The article credits the Fight for $15 for the recent announcements by Walmart and others to raise their wages to $10 an hour by 2016.  Read the entire article HERE.

Come to our Worker Justice Symposium on Saturday, March 28, at the Logan Square Library, 3030 W. Fullerton Ave., and learn more about the Fight For $15.  The event begins at 1:00 pm.

Exodus 3:7-10; 4:29-31

What is God’s response to what God has seen and heard about the forced labor of the Hebrews? God says, “I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians.” But God’s action is to send Moses to Pharaoh as God’s representative. Some have suggested that God is calling Moses to be a labor organizer. Would that make you uncomfortable? If so, why? When the people heard that God had sent someone to help them, they bowed down and worshiped. Why do you think Moses’ arrival is such an encouragement? What could you do to encourage mistreated workers?

Actress Patricia Arquette caused a quite a stir in her Oscar acceptance speech when she advocated for equal pay for women.  She got a lot of love from Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez that night, but the online response wasn’t so supportive.  So what’s the deal with women and wages?

In 1963, the US Congress passed the Fair Wage Act to address the gender wage gap.  At the time, women were making $.59 cents for every $1 made by men.  In the 50 years since, women are still making significantly less than men.  They are now making $.77 for every $1.  And the amount has been virtually unchanged for the past 13 years!  This wage gap is impacting more and more families as women increasingly become the main wage earners in their households.  You might think it is because women take jobs that are traditionally lower-wage like the retail or fast food.  But even in jobs that pay higher wages and take more skill, women lag men.

For instance, female computer programmers make $.05 cents less than their male colleagues, and female financial advisors make $.42 cents less!  Within a year of college graduation, women fall behind male counterparts across all segments of the labor market.  And the wage gap is even greater for women of color.

Over the past 10 years, members of congress have introduced legislation to eliminate the wage gap–most recently in April, 2014 by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland.  The bill died in a procedural move in November, 2014.

April 14, 2015 is “Equal Pay Day”.   You can mark the day by wearing red because women are still “in the red” when it comes to wages.  Link HERE for more information on the gender pay gap from the Department of Labor.