PITTSBURGH 'Labor priest' spreads word about the dignity of workers

All faiths teach about the dignity of workers and work, the priest said.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Known to many Pittsburghers as the "labor priest," the Rev. Jack O'Malley uses the pulpit to spread the gospel of social justice.
For the past three years, O'Malley, 66, and other labor activists have been using the Labor Day weekend to raise awareness of the concerns of workers. O'Malley, who is chaplain to the state AFL-CIO, says the need for fair treatment in the workplace is needed now more than ever.
"The concern for workers goes beyond our borders because many good-paying jobs are going overseas where workers are being exploited, and many times, people here don't even know it," O'Malley said.
O'Malley brought the "Labor in the Pulpits" program to Pittsburgh after it was started by the Chicago-based National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice in 1996. The program aims to teach about the dignity of workers and work.
Program has grown
Since the program was launched, it has steadily grown to thousands of places of worship in more than 80 cities. Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as synagogues and mosques, often invite people to speak about labor issues during services.
"The message is appealing because all of our traditions in faith, not just the Catholic Church, have these wonderful Scriptures and teachings about the dignity of workers and work," O'Malley said.
Joe Delale, a community services liaison for the AFL-CIO, helps O'Malley spread the program to other Pennsylvania cities, including Erie, Greensburg, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. He says the program has gained momentum because the partnership of labor and faith is natural.
During Sunday's Mass at Our Lady of Angels, John Haer, executive director of the Pittsburgh local of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, credited the labor movement with improving the life of all Americans.
"Without the push of the labor movement, we would still have children working in mines," Haer said. "We would never have public education, an eight-hour work day, Medicare, unemployment insurance and Social Security."