On Labor Day, we as a nation recognize the value of Labor, that is, of the workers in our country. We recall their struggle for a minimum wage, the right to limit the workday and the workweek, the right to organize, their contribution to the economy and our society. First, as people of faith, we believe there is a moral dimension to the economic order. Our Creator has some expectations as to how we use the goods of creation. There is also a basic issue for society.
Most workers have the obligation of providing for families.
We expect even demand that parents be responsible for their children. If parents are to fulfill these expectations, they must have enough earning power, not only to pay for the goods and services they and their children need, they must also have the time to participate in family life, school activities, etc. To ask them to work for less is to ask them to not fulfill their duties as parents. It is immoral to ask parents to work for less than what is necessary to frugally support themselves and their children. A worker has a right to earn enough to frugally support his or her family.