More Union Talk

Have you seen the news about a clergy union?  There was an article in the Toronto Star.  The article was shared with me last night and now, I'm filled with wonderings about where this will lead.

This was a hot topic a few years ago in the United Church.  I can remember attending a meeting with a union representative discussing the benefits of joining a union.  Then there was a vote and ministers, by a slight majority, voted against having a union.  I thought the talk had basically disappeared, but it has returned, and this time, with an actual union in place.  

Receiving Unifaith's charter on December 7, 2013

Unifaith is part of Unifor, and is a union for United Church clergy, students, retirees, and their families.  They gathered for the first time on January 14, 2014.  What are the advantages of a union for clergy?  What are the disadvantages?

Many churches are struggling to pay their ministers.  As attendance drops, as membership declines, and as financial givings decrease, churches find it difficult to pay their ministers.  Sometimes this means ministers are asked to leave and sometimes they are asked to work less than full-time.  There are also the unhealthy congregations that struggle to treat their clergy fairly.  When I was serving a small congregation in Stoughton, the congregation decided that they could only pay me for three more months.  They would then be out of money.  I was basically being laid off with three months' notice.

I was one of the lucky ones.  There were a few in the congregation who took charge and started making phone calls to people in the community.  Within a week, they had accumulated enough to say that I could stay on for the rest of the year and a few months later, they knew that another year and a half would be doable.  It wasn't long after that I decided to begin my search for another call.

It was a scary time, but how would a union have helped?  How can a congregation be forced to do more than it is able?  As a minister, I am in relationship with these people, and although I felt hurt, I would not have felt good about striking back.  Is that what a union is for?  Or does the union strike at the United Church of Canada?  How is the UCC responsible for the financial struggles of a congregation?

I'm speaking from a place of little experience with unions, so I may sound very naive.  I am part of a professional organization for diaconal ministers in the UCC.  We have gatherings every two years, a newsletter, and geographical clusters.  I feel supported by this network.  Maybe a professional organization of clergy would be more helpful and supportive than a union.

I'm sure there will be a lot of conversation around this again, and maybe there will be another vote, but, until I have a better understanding of the benefits of a union, I will still need to vote, "no."