FAIR WAGES: FSPA’s ”Fight for $15“ Compensation Project
BY SISTER SUE ERNSTER, FSPA
I• support company values (e.g. respect for the individual);
• lead to a more equitable distribution of revenue to essential workers, many of whom earn less than a living wage and rely on government subsidies;
• advance racial equity goals, given that a disproportionate number of hourly workers are people of color; and
• attract, retain, and empower associates to provide a better customer experience.
n 2021, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) partnered with Wipfli Consultants, an accounting and consulting firm, to raise the organization’s minimum wage to $15/hour. This decision was made in appreciation of our valued partners in mission and in support of the actions of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), the Seventh Generation for Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment, and the 2021 Raise the Wage Act.
In an article for Global Sisters Report, I was quoted as saying, “This wasn’t just about economic justice; we recognize our partners in mission serving on staff are gold. We advocated for livable wages, and we wanted it to start at home. We invest in our partners as they help us carry forward our mission.”1
We made this decision in part due to the ICCR’s assertion that the government “should implement a mandatory minimum wage of at least $15 per hour as a floor, with an eye towards establishing a living wage standard.”2
To this end, we formed a compensation project team that included FSPA’s president, vice president, and HR team. Together with Wipfli, we studied how the new minimum wage would affect the overall pay scale. Today, this practice continues, and the HR team evaluates all wages annually.
Our advocacy didn’t stop in our own community. We also cofiled a shareholder proposal with Walmart calling for boosted wages and racial justice.3 In 2021, Walmart included its views on our proposal in the proxy materials ahead of the annual shareholder’s meeting. Their response was that its workforce strategy was focused on four themes: inclusion, well-being, growth, and digital. However, they did not address all of our concerns, which included the arguments that increasing starting wages would:
1 “FSPA acts for the Fight for $15,” Global Sisters Report, Accessed March 18, 2025, https://www.globalsistersreport.org/community/ news/fspa-acts-fight-15
2 Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and Investor Alliance on Human Rights, “Biden-Harris need ’all hands on deck’ approach to promote respect for human rights,” Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, November 24, 2020, https://www.businesshumanrights.org/en/blog/biden-harris-need-an-all-hands-ondeck-approach-to-promote-respect-for-human-rights/
3 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/ data/104169/000121465921004163/cg413210px14a6g.htm
While this shareholder initiative may not have had the results we hoped for, we continued to advocate both in our own community and more broadly. Throughout 2021, guided by our Dismantling FSPA Racism Team, we also worked to raise awareness of our participation in systemic racism, analyze our congregation’s anti-racist vision, and act authentically for racial equity.
As part of these commitments, we also grew our impact investing. In 2020, we ushered in a second round of Seeding a Legacy of Healing grants, a grant program that allows members of our community to build upon existing ministry partnerships with non-profit organizations. In order to address the racial wealth gap and foster the dignity of American workers, we also invested in Apis & Heritage Capital Partners, a private equity firm that buys private businesses and converts them into employee-owned businesses. We also invested in the Religious Communities Impact Fund, which invests in programs that help the poor, especially women and children, focusing on those who are poorly served through traditional financial sources. Finally, we have also invested in BlackStar Stability Distressed Debt Fund, an organization that aims to generate significant benefits for lowincome and moderate-income families through investments that restructure distressed mortgages and land sale contracts.
As Pope Francis says in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), “The dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies.” The dignity of each person can be recognized through fair wages. This has become a major part of our community’s mission, and we continue to focus on this work both through shareholder advocacy and by investing wisely in companies that raise up workers.
Sister Sue Ernster serves the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) as president. Sister Sue represents FSPA as a board member of various local, national, and international organizations including the Economy of Francesco, a global movement inspired by St. Francis and convened by Pope Francis, that calls us to engage in an economy rooted in justice, stewardship, and inclusivity. She is also committed to FSPA engagement in impact investing, putting investor support to work with responsibility for all of creation.
courtesy of the author