In The News

Center conducting research on how Catholic social teaching guides financial decision-making (or not) February 2, 2022 How do Gospel values impact the financial decisions of Catholic institutions? What difference can Catholic Social Teaching (CST) make in budgeting “on the ground?” These questions lie at the heart of the Center for Social Concerns’ Catholic Social Teaching […]

Motels4Now and local housing advocates work to provide housing to homeless people in South Bend January 21, 2022 The City of South Bend has long had a weather amnesty policy that provided seasonal emergency shelter in the City by permitting provider organizations to remain open for longer than normal operating hours. Weather amnesty is implemented […]

Pandemic, racial justice, the economy drove Notre Dame students to the polls in 2020 By: Erin Blasko January 21, 2022 Nearly 72 percent of University of Notre Dame students voted in the 2020 election, up from 53.3 percent in 2016, according to the latest report from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE). About […]

The Pandemic Intensifies the Need for a Just Wage Economy January 21, 2022 The economic earthquakes prompted by the evolving pandemic keep producing unpredicted developments in markets and workplaces, as well as catchy terms like “essential workers,” “the Great Resignation,” and “Striketober,” as pundits rush to capture the experiences of our stressed out labor force. […]

Rare Starbucks union vote set to begin in Buffalo November 12, 2021 Employees at Starbucks locations around Buffalo, N.Y. will begin voting this week on whether they want to be represented by a union, a possible first for the coffee giant. An article published by The State, “Rare Starbucks union vote set to begin in […]

Center for Social Concerns awards community impact grants for the fall 2021 semester By: JP Shortall November 2, 2021 The Center for Social Concerns has selected Community Impact Grant recipients for the Fall 2021 semester. Grants are awarded to faculty and students doing community-engaged work that advances human dignity, solidarity, and the common good, values central […]

On this Labor Day, advocating for just wages means fighting company theft September 10, 2021 Defining a just wage is a complex task. The definition must go beyond wage amount and include things like wage theft, not paying workers  what they’re legally due. This can take the form of misclassifying workers or avoiding overtime pay. […]