Working for Workers

Newsletter May 12, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

When government officials are elected into office, they enter into a sacred contract with the people—all of the people, not just those who voted for them. A significant part of that contract relies on their ability to recognize that money is green energy and to use it for good—and make policy that is fair to all of those who deal with money. They are tasked with the sacred obligation to grow institutions that create not only financial capital but especially social capital for all who dwell in their jurisdiction. They are entrusted to work for economic justice and to create fair and thoughtful policy that supports that vision.

This Wednesday, I will gather in community with hotel and Los Angeles International Airport workers through Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) to remind our elected officials at the Los Angeles City Council of this sacred social contract. We will encourage them to pass legislation that would increase the minimum wage for this sector, to be closer in alignment with the established living wage. 

Workers in this sector have been organizing for over two years, and I (on behalf of Keeping It Sacred) have been proud to stand in solidarity with their plight from the beginning. I have heard personal testimonies of countless workers struggling to hold down two jobs or traveling long distances to their workplaces because they cannot afford to live near the hotels where they serve. I have heard of the debilitating challenges of unguaranteed minimum working hours, erratic schedules, and lack of healthcare. I have heard of the conditions that have set them up to fail. 

In a city known for its tourism industry, which heavily relies upon hotels and our world-class international airport, we need to treat these workers like the precious and contributing human beings that they are. Indeed, they are the angels in our City of Angels. And this issue is all the more pressing here because what happens in Los Angeles can set an example for cities around the world. And the eyes of the world will be on Los Angeles, host of the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.

I am called to do this work for workers and feel it is my moral responsibility as a Jew to do so. Jewish values teach responsible, ethical employer–employee practices. The Torah instructs that an employer must not delay payment to a worker: “You shall not oppress a hired worker…you shall give them their wages on the same day” (Deuteronomy 24:14–15). Why? Because our sages understood that wages are survival—without them, an employee cannot clothe, feed, or shelter themselves or the members of their household.

When we think about our airport and hotel workers, they are the first to welcome strangers into the great city of Los Angeles. They stand at the doors, offering joy, pride, and enthusiasm to newcomers. In ancient times, they would be the ones standing at the opening of the tent. 

And of course we know that welcoming strangers into the tent is a deeply Jewish value, exemplified by our patriarch Abraham and matriarch Sarah, who welcomed three visitors with open arms and generous hospitality (Genesis 18:1–8).

From a Jewish values perspective, and especially because these workers hold such a sacred position, we are obligated to encourage our elected leaders on this issue. 

Please take some time today, even if you are not in the Los Angeles area, to examine whether your community’s minimum wage aligns with the locally established living wage. And consider communicating with your elected officials about the importance of aligning these two numbers. 

If you are in the Los Angeles area, I invite you to join me and the movement through our partnership with CLUE-LA. Find more information below.

Advocating for a just and fair distribution of green energy everywhere is how we are Keeping It Sacred. Together, we are Keeping It Sacred.

 Together, we’re #keepingitsacred…

Rabbi Heather Miller

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

---

The above is an excerpt from a Keeping It Sacred newsletter. If you want to read the entire newsletter or any from our archives, please head over to: keepingitsacred.com/news

And if you'd like the newsletter delivered to your inbox every week, please share your name and email address in the fields at the bottom of the page in the purple boxes.

Thanks for your interest, and thanks for #keepingitsacred...