Faith Leaders Support Hawaii Hotel Workers Strike INQ7.net
October 09, 2006
We believe in social justice as a matter of faith and are committed to fairness, honest relationships, and the common good. We therefore affirm our deep and committed support of the members of Unite Here! Local 5, in their effort to ensure solid middle-class jobs, now and in the future for the people of Hawai‘i nei.
We see their desire to better themselves and their families as a fundamentally spiritual struggle to realize the fullness of their own humanity. We stand with these workers at this time and embrace their cause as our own in response to the deepest call of our varied faiths.
We are keenly aware of the vital role that the hotel industry plays in Hawai‘i. We know that the wealth generated by the beauty of our ‘aina and the labor of our people is substantial, and we believe the people of these islands deserve a share in the wealth they create.
The health and welfare of our people depend on fair working conditions, reasonable workloads and compensation that can support them and their families by working at one full-time job. Healthy workers who earn livable wages are able to give enough time and attention to their families to keep our community and our churches strong.
Hawai‘i’s religious community is behind our workers. Their struggle is our struggle. They are members of our congregations. They are our neighbors, our family and our friends. In prayer and compassion, we call on the owners of the Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott, Ala Moana, Ilikai, and Kahala hotels to search their hearts and sign a fair deal for hotel workers.
In Faithful Solidarity, The Reverend Dr. Paul Sherry National Council of Churches United Church of Christ, USA The Reverend Charles Buck Hawaii Conference Minister United Church of Christ The Right Rev. Richard S. O. Chang Bishop The Reverend Canon Robert Fitzpatrick Canon to the Ordinary The Reverend Woong-Min Kim Superintendent, Hawai‘i District United Methodist Church The Reverend Alan Mark United Methodist, President Face Action for Community Equity The Reverend Bishop Mary Ann Swenson California-Pacific Annual Conference United Methodist Church The Most Rev. Stephen Randolph Sykes Bishop, Inclusive Orthodox Church The Reverend Msgr. Terrence Watanabe Roman Catholic The Reverend Ane Aholelei United Methodist The Reverend Piula Ala‘ilima United Methodist Sister Rosita Aranita, CSJ Roman Catholic The Reverend Stanley Bain United Methodist The Reverend Gary Barbaree United Methodist The Reverend Alfred Bloom Honpa Hongwanji The Reverend Ewing Carroll United Methodist The Reverend Fr. Joseph Carroll Roman Catholic The Reverend Fr. Chris Cartwright, SJ Roman Catholic Brother Melchor Castanda, SSS Roman Catholic The Reverend Anne Findlay Chamberlain United Church of Christ Sister Joan Chatfield, M.M. Institute of Religion and Social Change The Reverend Fr. Thomas Choo Roman Catholic The Reverend Colleen Chun United Methodist The Reverend Sam Cox United Methodist The Reverend Sam Domingo United Methodist Sister Roselani Enomoto, CSJ Diocesan Director, CCHD The Reverend Langi Fine United Methodist Laura Friedman, M.Div. Unitarian Universalist The Reverend Tom Fujita United Church of Christ The Reverend Yoshiaki Fujitani Honpa Hongwanji The Reverend Fr. Thomas Gross Roman Catholic The Reverend Dan Hatch United Church of Christ The Reverend John Heidel United Church of Christ The Reverend Steve Ito United Church of Christ The Reverend Bill Kaina United Church of Christ The Reverend Richard Kamanu United Church of Christ The Reverend Etuini Kelemeni United Methodist Chong-Kuk Kim Mu Ryang Sa Buddhist Temple The Reverend James Koyama United Church of Christ The Reverend Jonipher Kwong Metropolitan Church Sister Brenda Lau, CSJ Roman Catholic The Reverend Grant Lee United Church of Christ The Reverend Kekapa Lee United Church of Christ The Reverend Neal MacPherson United Church of Christ The Reverend Nobuko Miyake-Stoner United Methodist The Reverend Robert Miyake-Stoner United Methodist The Reverend Bob Nakata United Methodist The Reverend Kyuwoo Nam United Methodist The Reverend Fr. Steve Nguyen Roman Catholic The Reverend T‘o Paogofie United Church of Christ The Reverend Barbara Grace Ripple United Methodist The Reverend Sky St. John Unity The Reverend Consorcia Sanchez United Methodist The Reverend Shigeo Tanabe United Methodist Kahu Fr. Tom Van Culin Episcopal The Reverend Amy Wake United Methodist The Reverend Dr. Richard Walenta Presbyterian The Reverend James White United Methodist The Reverend Frances Wiebenga United Methodist The Reverend Mike Young Unitarian Universalist The Reverend Elizabeth Zivanov Episcopal Sponsored by Faith Action for Community Equity
