Jewish Labor Committee

February 16, 2015 - The Jewish Labor Committee is joining with more than 60 other national organizations to form A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service. Please sign this pledge to protect the public Postal Service.

The United States Postal Service is a wonderful national treasure, enshrined in the Constitution and supported by the American people. Without any taxpayer funding, the USPS serves more than 150 million households and businesses each day, providing affordable, universal mail service to all­ -- including rich and poor, rural and urban, without regard to age, nationality, race or gender.

The Postal Service and postal jobs are threatened by those who would undermine the postal services and dismantle this great public institution. Even some postal executives have been complicit in the drive toward the destruction of the Postal Service and ultimate privatization.

In the face of these attacks, we are fighting to protect and enhance vibrant public postal services now -- and for many generations to come.

Scroll down here and watch a 2-minute video: actor-activist Danny Glover shares his personal story about the impact and importance of a vibrant public Postal Service.

Please share the Danny Glover video and the Grand Alliance statement on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and with your personal email lists. And please encourage your friends and associates to do the same.A Grand Alliance to Save the U.S. Public Postal Service. Again, please sign the pledge now!

Posted by Arieh Lebowitz at 12:53 PM | Permalink

February 11, 2015 -- Jewish Labor Committee President Stuart Appelbaum issued the following statement regarding the upcoming speech by Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's acceptance of Speaker of the House John Boehner's invitation to speak before a joint session of Congress has created an unnecessary strain in U.S.-Israeli relations. The Jewish Labor Committee urges the Prime Minister to reconsider his acceptance of this invitation, and to seek another venue to express his concerns to the U.S. Congress about the negotiations taking place with Iran over its nuclear program.

As a democracy and an ally of the United States, Israel has enjoyed bipartisan support in America. This longstanding support has not been a Republican or a Democratic issue, but rather one based on shared values between our two countries. The invitation by a Republican leader to a foreign leader that bypassed the usual protocol by not informing the President of the United States , and the Prime Minister's plan to address Congress in the near future, has put an unnecessary strain on this relationship, injecting the U.S. government into the upcoming Israeli elections.

The serious potential of the development of nuclear arms by Iran poses a real and significant danger not only to Israel but to the entire region. Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed his view that this amounts to an existential threat to Israel many times and before numerous audiences. His analysis is well known to the U.S Congress and the American people. We believe that there is no need to repeat it at this time and under these circumstances in a way that we and many others believe may turn support for Israel into a partisan political issue.

A number of Democratic members of Congress who were preparing to vote for additional sanctions despite President Obama's urging them to delay until after the negotiations had played out now will wait. President Obama has stated that he will not meet with the Prime Minister when he is in the U.S., citing the upcoming Israeli elections as the reason. Vice President Joe Biden has stated that he will be out of the country and therefore will, similarly, not attend Prime Minister Netanyahu's address. Some prominent Democrats in Congress have stated that they are considering boycotting the speech as well. In other words, what has been bipartisan support for Israel threatens to become Republican support for Israel. While this may be good for one party in Congress, it is very damaging to the larger, bipartisan support that Israel has received since its establishment.

The Jewish Labor Committee therefore calls on Prime Minister Netanyahu to reconsider his decision to address a joint session of Congress under these circumstances.

Posted by Arieh Lebowitz at 02:41 PM | Permalink

The IUF, an international federation of trade unions representing workers employed in agriculture and plantations; the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages; hotels, restaurants and catering services; and all stages of tobacco processing has reached out internationally on an issue that should br of concern to us all. Sheraton hotels and resorts are part of the Starwood Group, whose other brands include Westin, St. Regis, Méridien, W Hotels and the Luxury Collection. While Starwood calls them "distinct lifestyle brands" - upscale accommodations for affluent travelers and vacationers, the IUF reports that brutal violations of the human rights of the company's employees can be part of that distinct lifestyle.
Recently, workers at Sheraton hotels in Ethiopia and Maldives sought to exercise a basic human right: negotiate through their unions their employment terms and conditions. They got Sheraton management's full service abuse treatment - brutal mass dismissals and intimidation.
CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO STARWOOD!

Posted by Arieh Lebowitz at 11:22 AM | Permalink