Who Are We
The United Covenant Union is a mutual aid organization made up of people who work at and depend on food banks: clergy, chaplains, informal workers, and fixed income seniors.
The United Covenant Union organizes its members into peer groups called "chapels" so that they can develop community and agency.
UCU's Objectives: Repairing the World
Rebuild Civil Society
At no point in American history have so few people been members of a union, place of worship or fraternal organization. Being a member of an orgnaization taught people civics, how to raise money, and how to be a responsible citizen. The United Covenant Union aims to rebuild this tradition!
Prevent Wage Theft
Studies show that as many as 25% - 35% of working-age Americans are working in the informal sector (under the table). Most of these workers are people on disability or with part-time jobs who are trying to find subsistence income as domestic workers or day workers. Many of these workers are not paid what they were verbally promised, which is called wage theft. UCU is working to stop this unjust practice.
Avert Social Isolation
Isolation is becoming a greater issue. Older adults lack social community. Informal sector workers are atomized and lack the experience of having lunch with their co-workers. Young people are so involved with social media that they are not forming social connections with others. The United Covenant Union aims to disrupt this pattern by building organizations called chapels that develop participatory leadership skills.
UCU's Work: Building Chapels
Hold Weekly Prayer Meetings
All of UCU's chapels hold weekly prayer meetings each week, normally with a meal. In these meetings, members will report on their health, recite a healing prayer, read a scripture and then discuss how that scripture challenges members to take action about a problem in the community. The goal of each chapel prayer meeting is to move members into action from complacency.
Train Members in Contract Writing
UCU Chapels train memebrs who are informal sector domestic workers in contract-writing so that they can be safeguarded from wage theft.
Connect Members to Household Employers
UCU chapels connect their members with household employers who are willing to sign a contract so that workers can build social capital and be connected to reliable work that will not result in habitual wage theft.
Act as Staffing Agency for
More recently, some UCU chapels have begun securing cleaning and landscaping contracts with congregations, where they negotiate the wage rate and work hours with a congregation. This process empowers and prepares chapel members to act with agency in public life.
UCU's Craft: Training Chaplain Organizers
The United Covenant Union trains clergy and chaplains to be chaplain organizers, who practice the craft of base community organizing, which itself is a blend of the practices of base-building, congregation-based community organizing, congregational planting, and peer group development.
Chaplain Organizers are taught in the techniques of relational meetings, agitiation, power analysis, meeting turn-out, canvassing, and fundraising, so that they can teach their chapel members how to use their power (ability to act).
