Twin Cities Religious Leaders Stand Up For Working Families Agenda

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Religious leaders across the Twin Cities joined the fight for worker's rights Thursday afternoon.

A group of activist ministers, rabbis and pastors called "Isaiah" is pushing for the city to pass a new law, the Working Families Agenda.

The group said this personal to them. A Baptist pastor said he has parishioners who have to decide between buying medicine and buying food, while a priest said he leads 5,000 Hispanic immigrants who work hard and deserve more.

The Baptist pastor stood with leaders of several different faiths chanting, "Something has got to happen."

The group said they are standing behind the Minneapolis City Council proposal to give all workers in Minneapolis paid sick leave and a work schedule they would know about four weeks out.

Those are part of the Working Families agenda.

"In the spirit of labor, no rights of any kind should be denied while seeking cures and treating for good health after a proven record of consistent productivity in the work place," Bishop Richard D. Howell, from Shiloh Temple International Ministries, said.

"Join us in this great opportunity of humane urbanism where work is valued and workers are valued, where the sick need not worry about losing their paycheck or their job," Rabbi Michael Latz, of Shir Tikvah Synagogue, said.

But not everyone is on board with this proposal.

Some business owners said it is drives a wedge between them and their employees and raises costs just as they are getting over the recession.

The clergy members said they want it to happen this year, and at least one councilmember told WCCO the same thing.

The next step for the Working Families agenda is a public hearing on November 4.