Labor unions and other worker associations are necessary to help propel workers and their families out of poverty amid a “broken economy,” said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. “Economic renewal that places working people and their families at the center of economic life cannot take place without effective unions,” declared Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif. “This renewal requires business, religious, labor and civic organizations to work together to help working people defend their dignity, claim their rights, and have a voice in the workplace and broader economy,” he said. “Everyone and every institution has a role to play in building a more just economy,” which “serves the person rather than the other way around.” Bishop Blaire made his remarks in the annual Labor Day statement issued by the committee he heads. Dated Sept. 3, this year’s observance of the federal Labor Day holiday, the statement, “Placing Work and Workers at the Center of Economic Life,” released Aug. 13, looks at economic issues through church teaching. “Our country continues to struggle with a broken economy that is not producing enough decent jobs. Millions of Americans suffer from unemployment, underemployment or are living in poverty as their basic needs too often go unmet. This represents a serious economic and moral failure for our nation,” Bishop Blaire said.