Two important worker justice items to come before the Episcopal General Convention in July, 2003 include the need to support and become involved in justice for immigrant workers, especially through the planned “Immigrant Workers’ Freedom Ride” scheduled for this fall; and support to raise the federal minimum wage to $8.70 an hour, so that the working poor of this nation get a small boost upwards. Both of these issues are in resolutions passed recently by the Diocese of Los Angeles.

With regard to the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church passed its own resolution in support at its March meeting. The strategy is to push for immigration law reform to include at a minimum, legalizing the right of immigrant workers in this country to live and work here. The Freedom Ride will originate this September from eight cities in the U.S. and converge by bus on Washington D.C. to lobby Congress.

En route, religious groups across the country will welcome the buses and provide visible encouragement and support to the immigrant workers at their scheduled stops. ENEJ will be working at convention with specific information regarding the route of the Freedom Ride, to line up support from the Episcopal churches along the way, and to lobby congress for immigrant reform legislation. This is an effort which has been jointly coordinated by the unions and the interfaith community, especially through the National Interfaith Committee on Worker Justice.

General Convention will also be presented with the platform for the Consultation, a coalition of progressive groups including ENEJ within the Episcopal Church, which addresses a variety of justice issues. Check at the ENEJ display at the convention for updated information on these issues.