Labor Day 2006

American Buddhists and Workers Justice:

A Call to Action

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

Did you know that:

In the richest country in the world, more than two million full-time, year round workers live below the poverty line, struggling to pay for necessities such as food, housing, healthcare, transportation, and childcare? (U.S. Census Bureau, "Poverty in the United States: 2002")

Thanks to Interfaith Worker Justice, a Buddhist Labor Day Resource Page is now available -- you can download it here or below as a one-page PDF format color poster that contains a Buddhist Call to Action for Worker Justice. Please visit the Interfaith Worker Justice website for more Labor Day resources from other faith traditions, and to learn more about IWJ.

Please consider sharing this information with others in our Buddhist communities through hard copies posted on bulletin boards or handed out, or electronically. Labor Day is coming up, and it's a great time of year to raise consciousness around issues of worker justice. If you are a Dharma teacher, would you please consider giving at least one Dharma talk connected to worker justice and how we can take action? These issues affect all of us deeply at multiple levels.

Here is a list of Buddhist resources related to worker justice issues:

• Buddhist Call to Action for Worker Justice from IWJ (one-page color poster in PDF format)

• BPF Statement urging McDonalds' to adopt fair worker practices (Jan 2006)

• BPF Statement of solidarity with locked-out San Francisco hotel workers (Nov 2004)

With gratitude and metta,

Mushim Ikeda-Nash

Buddhist Peace Fellowship International Advisory Council