I am a student at the University of Notre Dame and many on my campus subscribe to the leftist view regarding economics and Catholic social justice. I am a strong believer in the free market as the only just form of social structure due to its lack of coercion, the power of the dollar vote, and ultimately the greater prosperity for all. Some on campus protest that the university pays workers a market wage saying that a living wage is needed in order for campus workers to live above the poverty line. While I empathize with those that are struggling economically, I don’t see how it is just to pay people who clean toilets and swipe ID cards at the dining hall $15 an hour. I think the university by and large treats its employees very well and they are not “exploited.”
I would like to respond with a letter of my own to the editor but I would like some sound economic advice from those better versed in free market economics and morality.
So far a couple points I was thinking about bringing up are:
-The high cost of inflation and how it effects those at the bottom of the economic spectrum the most and why outrage should be aimed at government and not the university for paying a market rate.
-The article protests renovations to the Dome and Basilica. In renovating the Dome and Basilica, isn’t the university helping to fund the employment of construction workers and their families. Can one make a moral argument that we should be paying certain workers more and exclude others?
-On a personal note, I pay over $40,000 a year to attend school hear to further my education. The mission of the university is to provide education first and foremost not to act as a charity to those that willingly cannot find a better employer. Any thought of increasing my tuition to do so is outrageous IMO.
The person writing the article suffers from a serious economics handicap:
You should retort by saying: well, what should the wage ratio be 20:1? 2:1? 1:1? The arguer is almost implying that an hours of labour for a cleaner is “equal” to that of a senior lecturer. Point out the subjective theory of value in response here etc etc.
You should point out that the poorest people are better off by being in employment than not in employment as well.
There was a good article ealier on about the Christian justification for state/government intervention in free markets here: What belongs to Caesar. And some advice for arguing with someone who has socialist leanings here.
Writing “The mission of the university is to provide education first and foremost not to act as a charity to those that willingly cannot find a better employer” makes you sound cold and a bit vulgar. Perhaps you should highlight all the charitable things your university does (it does do charitable stuff, right?) in addition to enlightening the next generation of young people.
I am a Catholic and can say that if you read the Bible, specifically the New Testament, Jesus Christ emphasizes the need for charity. He urged those who had much to give to those who had little, and if one does so their treasure is in heaven. Christianity does not advocate socialism or wealth redesitribution by means of force, because the very beliefs are founded upon thou shall not steal and free will. When I walk through the city and see a poor man and give him $5 or donate money in another charitable way it’s because I do it to be a good person and because it is the Lord’s will. I do believe in market anarchy though and I fully understand that once we allow the free market to operate there will be less poverty and economic troubles so we will all be better off to hlep those in need voluntarily as good people. God bless.
This is what I recommend: make your response as simple as possible. Avoid referring to econonomic theory.
This is what I recommend: advocate that the employees form a voluntary union and boycott the university for higher wages. That way, if none of the employees join the union, it means the employees are happy and are not being exploited. While they are on strike, if unemployed people approach the university as scabs and offer to work for the lower wage, it proves that there are people who freely accept the lower wage and the current employees should shut up and be happy with what they got.