Jewish Labor Committee

Australian union chief retreats from [anti] Israel advert

2008-04-09T21:09:29Z

A number of significant articles appeared within a few weeks of Stuart Appelbaum’s Opinion piece, American Labor Can Help Right Anti-Israel Left, being published in the March 28 issue of The Forward. Most notable is

Union chief retreats from Israel advert [The Australian, April 6, 2008]: “The head of the Maritime Union of Australia has distanced himself and his union from an allegedly anti-Semitic advertisement linking Israel's statehood to `racism and ethnic cleansing', after his Sydney branch endorsed the ad.
Paddy Crumlin, the MUA's national secretary, said the advertisement published in The Australian last month had used `an appalling choice of words'.

]]> The MUA was among people and organisations endorsing the ad's condemnation of a motion by the Australian parliament congratulating Israel on its establishment 60 years ago.
But Mr Crumlin said the inclusion of the MUA by its Sydney branch secretary, Warren Smith, represented neither the union's position nor Mr Crumlin's. `I would be the last person to equate the establishment of Israel with racism and ethnic cleansing,' he said ... " MORE

Also see

Split in Australian union over ad, [Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 7, 2008]: “An anti-Israel ad branded anti-Semitic has sparked a bitter split in one of Australia’s most powerful trade unions. Paddy Crumlin, the national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, this week condemned the advertisement -- which accused Israel of `ethnic cleansing’ -- even though it was supported by his union’s Sydney branch. Crumlin blasted the ad, published in The Australian newspaper March 12 -- the day Australia’s parliament passed a bipartisan motion congratulating Israel on its 60th anniversary ...” MORE

Israel sparks unions spat [Australian Jewish News, April 6, 2008]: “A STOUSH has developed between the leaders of two of Australia’s most prominent unions over their respective stances on Israel. In a recent statement, ...” MORE

Aussie unions accused of anti-Semitism [Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY - Apr 3, 2008]: “A high-ranking Jewish American unionist accused two powerful Australian trade unions of anti-Semitism.
Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the Jewish Labor Committee and of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, last week accused the Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia of `anti-Semitism cloaked under the veil of anti-Zionism’ following their endorsement last month of a newspaper ad accusing Israel of `ethnic cleansing.’
In an op-ed published in last week’s Forward newspaper, Appelbaum slammed the unions for their `diatribes against Israel.’
The ad in The Australian March 12 -- the day the parliament passed a bipartisan motion congratulating Israel on its 60th anniversary -- was endorsed by a number of Jews.
It said,`We as informed and concerned Australians choose to dissociate ourselves from the celebration of the triumph of racism and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians since the al-Nakba [the catastrophe] of 1948.’ ” MORE

US Jews attack unions over ad [The Australian Mar 31, 2008]: “ ... Andrew Ferguson, the CFMEU's chief in NSW who authorised his union's participation in the ad, told The Australian yesterday: `I do not accept that being critical of policies of the Israeli state makes us anti-Semitic, just as being critical of the policies of George Bush does not make us anti-American.'
MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin was unavailable for comment yesterday, but his union is believed to want to put the onus on officials lower down the pecking order for supporting the anti-Israel ad.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff accused the CFMEU and MUA of reacting without the facts.
`The small number of unions that have adopted an anti-Israel position have done so more out of ignorance than prejudice,' Mr Alhadeff said.
The nation's union movement has divided over the issue, with right-wing Australian Workers Union secretary Paul Howes accusing the CFMEU and MUA of `lining up with Hamas'." ... MORE

Two weeks before Stuart Appelbaum’s article appeared in The Forward, these two items appeared in the Australian press:

PM lauds Israel, but urges peace [The Australian, March 12, 2008] , which noted that the country’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd “praised Israel's democratic achievements as parliament yesterday commemorated Israel's 60th anniversary and stressed the need for an independent and economically viable Palestinian state ... only Labor backbencher Julia Irwin abstaining from the vote in a protest at human rights abuses by Israel ... The motion left Labor bitterly divided, with Ms Irwin and several affiliated left-wing unions attracting savage criticism for using the occasion to attack Israel … ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence and Australian Workers Union chief Paul Howes dissociated themselves from left-wing colleagues who put their names to an advertisement in The Australian yesterday condemning the bipartisan motion.” MORE

and

Labor split over Israel support [The Australian, March 11, 2008]: "A bipartisan motion congratulating Israel on 60 years of statehood has provoked division in federal Labor, with one government MP threatening to boycott the vote and union heavyweights accusing the Jewish state of racism and ethnic cleansing.
The parliamentary motion is due to be passed by MPs today, commemorating 60 years of friendship between Australia and Israel.
The motion provoked a clash between Kevin Rudd and Labor MP Julia Irwin yesterday after Ms Irwin questioned why the Government was supporting the gesture, given Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.
And today a group of individuals and organisations, including the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, the Maritime Union of Australia and South Australian Democrat MP Sandra Kanck, have put their names to an advertisement in The Australian condemning the motion.
`We, as informed and concerned Australians, choose to disassociate ourselves from a celebration of the triumph of racism and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians since the al-Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948,' the advertisement reads." MORE

American Labor Can Help Right Anti-Israel Left

2008-03-29T01:39:48Z

by Stuart Appelbaum, The Forward, March 28, 2008 [online here]

For more than two years, Israelis living in Sderot and other towns near Gaza have been the target of choice for Hamas terrorists. Launching its arsenal of Qassam rockets from residential neighborhoods and even schoolyards, they have as much as dared Israel to fight back. Now it has.

Predictably, much of the world is expressing its dismay — and those of us who call ourselves progressives are fuming that much of it is coming from our counterparts on the left overseas. However, it’s not enough for us to be indignant. Absent the involvement of the American labor movement, any effort to build worldwide support on the left for the Jewish state will be extraordinary difficult.

]]> To grasp the enormity of the challenge facing Israel’s friends on the left, one need only look at the Socialist International’s condemnation last month of “the excessive use of force by Israel in Gaza.” The umbrella body of social democratic, socialist and labor parties went on to point out that it has “consistently denounced the attacks against Israel coming from Gaza as well as the incursions into Gaza by Israel, for both serve only to worsen the cycles of violence that in the end harm innocent people the most.”

Of course, those who have even a passing familiarity with Hamas understand that their raison d’etre is the creation of a chain of violence and retribution. Suggesting that Israel and Hamas are both to blame for the bloodshed in Gaza is akin to saying that the would-be victim who fights off a mugger bears equal responsibility for the violence as the assailant.

Statements like the Socialist International’s, however, are salutary compared to some of the venom generated by the left abroad.

For example, Australia’s Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia joined forces recently to condemn a parliamentary resolution congratulating Israel on its 60 years of statehood. Their words speak for themselves: “We, as informed and concerned Australians, choose to disassociate ourselves from a celebration of the triumph of racism and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians since the al-Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948.”

Why do voices that so often cry out for social justice serve up these kinds of diatribes against Israel? Why do they hold Israel to standards that no other nation in the world would ever be expected to meet? And why do so many of them claim that, in the final analysis, Israel is responsible for everything Hamas does or will do?

It is the triumph of instinct over intellect, and one can only conclude that, at least in part, what we are increasingly witnessing on the left overseas is antisemitism cloaked under the veil of anti-Zionism.

Why, then, has this worldview remained so marginal among American progressives? After all, no serious contender for this year’s Democratic presidential nomination has offered anything less than total support for Israel.

The answer may be found in the labor movement.

Faced with an alarming growth of anti-Israel boycotts and divestment efforts among unions across the United Kingdom, last year the Jewish Labor Committee launched an aggressive campaign to protest the move by British labor leaders. In the space of two weeks, every major American union had endorsed the effort. In fact, the show of American labor opposition to Israel-bashing was so strong that unions in Germany followed our lead and took a similar stance.

The leadership demonstrated by America’s unions last year ought to send a powerful message to Israel’s allies at home and overseas.

First, it should remind American Jewish leaders that they have a vital stake in building and maintaining a strong alliance with organized labor. This is particularly true now that Israel’s conservative Republican supporters are in the minority on Capitol Hill and seem well on their way to losing the White House. By this time next year it will likely be far more important for Jewish leaders to have a working relationship Change to Win’s Anna Burger and the AFL-CIO’s John Sweeney than with Pat Robertson, John Hagee and others on the right.

Second, it ought to embolden Israel’s supporters in foreign unions and encourage them to make their voices heard. As German activists demonstrated, American leadership is fundamental to challenging Israel bashing within the labor movement globally — and there can be no effective campaign to build support for Israel on the left internationally absent labor support.

Historically, American progressives have been bit players in the global left. Some might say that our biggest contribution was creating May Day.

However, the continuing assault against Israel by the left in other countries demands that we make our voices heard. With the support of the American labor movement we can. I know this much: We owe it to the families living in Sderot to try.

Stuart Appelbaum is president of the Jewish Labor Committee and of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Labor Seders across the U.S.A.

2008-03-26T18:18:45Z

There are a number of Labor Seders across the country this year: Boston, MA; Brooklyn and Manhattan, NYC; Philadelphia, PA; St. Louis, MO; Washington, DC; Houston, TX, and Los Angeles, CA. At these festive events, members of the Jewish community and members of the trade union movement sit down together for a a Seder meal and explore the relationships between the traditional story of Pesach and more recent struggles for freedom and dignity.
Most of the Labor Seders listed below still have seats available - but if you're interested in participating, call soon. People MUST make reservations - you cannot enter without one!

]]> BOSTON, MA
Monday April 7th, 5:30 p.m.
1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East Union Hall
150 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston
Sponsors: Jewish Labor Committee New England, Moishe House Boston: The Kavod Jewish Social Justice House, and the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
CONTACT: JLC New England 617-482-9604 or BostonLaborSeder@gmail.com

BROOKLYN, NYC
Tuesday, April 8th, 4:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Headquarters, United Federation of Teachers
335 Adams Street, Brooklyn
Sponsor: Educators' Chapter, JLC
CONTACTS: Joel Shiller 718-605-1400 or Robert Zuckerberg 718-852-4900

PHILADELPHIA, PA
Tuesday, April 8th, 5:30-7:30
Jewish Services Building
2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia
Sponsors: Philadelphia JLC and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia
CONTACT: Rosalind Spigel 215-587-6822 or JLCras@aol.com

MANHATTAN, NYC
Tuesday, April 8th, 6 p..m.
CWA Local 1180 headquarters
6 Harrison Street, Lower Level, Manhattan
Sponsor: United Hebrew Trades - New York JLC
CONTACT: Carolyn De Paolo 212-477-0767

ST. LOUIS, MO
Thursday, April 10th
Location TBA
Sponsors: Chicago Jewish Labor Committee, St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council, with the involvement of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council and The Labor Tribune
CONTACT: Eli Fishman 312-590-7050 or ChicagoJLC@yahoo.com

WASHINGTON DC
Tuesday, April 15th 7 p.m.
Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec Street, N.W.
Cosponsors: Jews United for Justice, Tikkun Leil Shabbat, Jewish Labor Committee, Adas Israel Congregation, DC Vote, DC Interfaith Worker Justice, UFCW Local 400, the DC Metropolitan Council, AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 32BJ ...
CONTACT: 202-408-1423 or info@jufj.org

HOUSTON
Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Congregation Or Ami, Houston, TX
Sponsors: Jewish Labor Committee and the Social Justice Committee
CONTACT: Richard Shaw 713-923-9473

LOS ANGELES
May 1st, 2008
AFTRA headquarters
5757 Wilshire Boulevard, ground floor, Los Angeles
Cosponsors: California-Western Region JLC and Ameinu {formerly the Labor Zionist Alliance}
CONTACT: Paul Koretz 323-658-5500 or JLCLA2@aol.com

JLC President Stuart Appelbaum in Israel

2008-02-21T12:19:29Z

JLC President Stuart Appelbaum met with Israeli President Shimon Peres Feb. 20. Appelbaum was in Jerusalem as part of the Israel Leadership Mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. In his meeting with Appelbaum and other leaders, Peres called for forging closer ties between Palestinians and Israeli Jews.

]]>

Israel, Feb. 18: JLC President Stuart Appelbaum (right) with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (center) and `Presidents Conference' Executive Vice President Malcolm Hoenlein. Participants in the Leadership Mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations are exploring critical issues facing Israel and the region, taking a broad strategic look at shifting centers of power in the region and beyond, learning about emerging trends within Israeli society and the implications for U.S. and world Jewry. The delegation has been engaging in dialogue with key decision and policy makers, opinion molders and leaders of various sectors of Israeli society on a range of current priority foreign policy and domestic challenges.

Holocaust & Jewish Resistance Teachers Program

2007-10-25T17:52:20Z

July 6 - 21, 2008: A summer study program in Poland and Israel for U.S. secondary school teachers.
This seminar includes educational activities in Poland and Israel with the participation of scholars from Polands' Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Israel's Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and the Study Center of the Ghetto Fighters' House at Kibbutz Lohamei HaGeta'ot. [Just click on "continue reading", below, for application and further details.]

]]> Applications are evaluated by a committee and spaces are filled on a rolling basis -- so applying early is to your advantage. All applications must reach our office no later than April 1, 2008.

Click here for the application (PDF)
NOTE if for some reason it does not appear, just email us at jlcexec@aol.com and we'll send one out asap.

Cost to the applicant is $2,300, which includes round-trip travel from New York, trips to historic sites, hotel accommodations (2 to a room) and 2 meals daily.

Payment is expected immediately upon notification of acceptance, which will contain more information on the program.

Program Goals:
** To advance education in U.S. secondary schools about the Holocaust and Jewish Resistance;
** To deepen teachers' knowledge and strengthen their ability to implement Holocaust studies in their classrooms;
** To teach each new generation about the Holocaust and Jewish resistance, so that they will know, understand and never forget;
** To further educational activities which use the lessons of the past as warnings for the present, and the future.

Curriculum includes:
** Martyrdom and the Struggle for Survival in Jewish History;
** Life in the Ghettoes and the Camps;
** The Final Solution;
** Armed Resistance and Revolt;
** Spiritual Resistance;
** Reaction of the Free World;
** The Holocaust in Literature and Art;
** Post-War Impact of the Holocaust.

CONTACT INFORMATION, AND SPONSORS

For further information contact:

Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Teachers Program
c/o Jewish Labor Committee
25 East 21st Street
New York, NY 10010

tel: (212) 477-0707 email: jlcexec@aol.com

The HOLOCAUST & JEWISH RESISTANCE TEACHERS PROGRAM
is sponsored by the

American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors
American Federation of Teachers
Educators Chapter, Jewish Labor Committee

With the active support of the

Atran Foundation, Inc.
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany
Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Monument Funds, Inc.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

NOTE: A major part of the cost of this program is covered by very substantial scholarships arranged by the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors.

German Unions Follow U.S. Labor to Oppose Boycott Against Israel

2007-09-07T17:52:20Z

Friday, September 7, 2007 - The president of the Jewish Labor Committee today applauded yesterday’s decision by Germany’s largest labor federation to oppose a growing boycott campaign against Israel. JLC President Stuart Appelbaum, who is also the president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said the move by the 6.5 million-member Confederation of German Trade Unions [Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund - DGB] is a “powerful statement against the Israel-bashing which has become common in the European labor movement.” In July, the leaders of virtually every major U.S. union signed on to a JLC statement blasting British union support for the boycott effort.

]]> “The backers of the boycott campaign have pulled out the stops to brand Israel as the embodiment of evil in the Middle East,” said Appelbaum. “Though they claim they are concerned with the problems facing Palestinians, their efforts only bolster the extremists who refuse to accept Israel’s right to exist.”

In its statement opposing the boycott campaign, the DGB said “Israel’s right to exist is non-negotiable, ” adding that “Anyone who challenges the foundations of the Jewish state can always reckon with our decisive resistance”

DGB President Michael Sommer recently told a German newspaper that calls for boycott measures are reminiscent of the Nazi slogan, “Don’t Shop at Jewish Stores!”

“When U.S. labor leaders stood up against the Israel-bashers in July they sent a powerful message of solidarity to the people of Israel and everyone else who believes in peace, “ Appelbaum said. “Now, with the added backing of Germany’s labor movement, the tide may be starting to turn against the boycott campaign.”

American Jews owe unions an extra 'thank you' on this Labor Day

2007-08-31T17:26:31Z

By Stuart Appelbaum

NEW YORK (JTA) -- As is the custom, millions of families will soon flock to beaches and backyard barbeques to celebrate Labor Day. Unfortunately, the reason for the holiday, recognizing the value of the labor movement, is too often forgotten. Of course, every family has reason to salute the contributions unions have made to our country. After all, it was organized labor that introduced the idea of the weekend and the 8-hour day. However, this year there's one group of Americans who have special reason to be thankful for organized labor -- those of us in the Jewish community.

At a time when many in business, the media and other institutions are too timid to challenge the rising tide of anti-Semitism abroad, America’s labor leaders did something extraordinary this summer. In a stunning show of solidarity with Israel, the presidents of virtually every major U.S. union signed on a declaration denouncing anti-Israel boycotts and divestment campaigns like the ones which have been endorsed by several British unons. CONTINUED

Unions and Labor Day

2007-08-31T17:02:21Z

By David Dolev

BOSTON (Jewish Advocate) -- Many of us remember hearing stories of our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents moving to America and struggling to “make it” in the new country. Some may have been small business owners while others were rank and file workers, but common to all was the struggle to sustain themselves and their families. Many suffered in sweatshops and developed the mutual support system called the U.S. trade union movement.
The imperative of supporting one another in economic struggles was not new to them. One of our foremost scholars, the Rambam, states that the highest level of charity is “entering into a partnership with one in need, or finding employment for him, in order to strengthen his hand until he need no longer be dependent upon others.”
Remembering their own struggle, our parents and grandparents passed on to us the commitment to help others in need. That is what unions are all about – supporting the basic right of individuals to a fair salary, benefits, workers safety, and the ability to raise him/herself to a better life. This is why so many in the Jewish community are supporting the ... READ IT ALL HERE: Download file

U.S. Labor Leaders Blast British Unions' "Boycott Israel" Resolutions

2007-07-19T03:53:06Z

U.S. labor leaders are denouncing British union support for a boycott of Israel . Their response comes in the wake of a decision by several unions, including the UK Transport and General Workers Union, to back economic, cultural and academic boycotts of Israel in protest against “the treatment of the Palestinian people.”

“Their resolutions have no purpose other than demonizing Israel ,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Jewish Labor Committee, an alliance of Jewish union leaders and supporters which is soliciting support for a statement opposing these boycotts.

]]> The JLC’s effort has been endorsed by the president of the AFL-CIO; the chair of Change to Win; presidents of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; American Federation of Teachers; United Food and Commercial Workers; Communications Workers of America; International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Masters, Mates and Pilots / ILA; Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union / UFCW; American Postal Workers Union; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; UAW; American Federation of School Administrators; Office and Professional Employees International Union; American Federation of Government Employees; UNITE-HERE; United Mine Workers of America; Sheet Metal Workers International Association; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades; Transportation Communications Union; American Federation Musicians; Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union; the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers; the Transport Workers Union of America; the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners; the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada; the Utility Workers Union of America; the Seafarers International Union of North America; the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers; the International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers-Communications Workers of America; the Writers Guild of America, West; the Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada; the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union; the National Education Association; and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen / IBT.

Also endorsing the effort are the presidents of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists; the A. Philip Randolph Institute; and the Italian-American Labor Council.

Appelbaum, who is also president of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said he expects other U.S. labor leaders to join those who have already voiced their opposition.

“The U.S. labor movement has always been a strong supporter of Israel and continues to be,” Appelbaum said, adding that American union leaders “understand that resolutions calling for boycotts of Israel undermine the goal of winning a lasting peace in the Middle East.”

“It’s obvious that the motivation behind these one-sided boycotts is less an authentic concern for human rights than it is a desire to bash Israel,” he said.

Statement of Opposition to Divestment From or Boycotts of Israel

2007-07-19T01:59:51Z

We view with increasing concern the phenomenon of trade unions in a number of countries, including, most recently, the United Kingdom, issuing resolutions that either directly or indirectly call for divestment from and boycotts of Israel.

With the large number of local, regional and international conflicts, with the diverse range of oppressive regimes around the world about which there is almost universal silence, we have to question the motives of these resolutions that single out one country in one conflict.

We note with increasing concern that virtually all of these resolutions focus solely on objections to actions or policies of the Israeli government, and never on actions or policies of Palestinian or other Arab governments, parties or movements. We notice with increasing concern that characterization of the Palestinians as victims and Israel as victimizer is a staple of such resolutions. That there are victims and victimizers on all sides, and that many if not most of the victims of violence and repression on all sides are civilians, are essential items often not mentioned in these resolutions.

]]> Any just and fair resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be brought about through meaningful negotiations between their elected representatives. We believe strongly in a two-state solution, brought about through meaningful negotiations, with the involvement and encouragement of the world community.

Trade unionists and their organizations seeking such a just and fair resolution should be assisting those working to bring the two sides together in direct talks and then negotiations. In this regard, we call for increased engagement of trade unions with their counterparts on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We support efforts of Palestinian and Israeli trade unionists and their organizations to maintain contact and cooperative and mutually supportive activities, even in the midst of tumult and political change within their respective communities and polities.

Calls for academic boycotts of Israel are inimical to and counter to the principles of academic freedom and freedom of association, key principles for which academics and educational unions have struggled over many years. Rather than limiting interactions with Israeli educators, academics and educational institutions, we see the importance of maximizing, rather than proscribing, the free flow of ideas and academic interaction between peoples, cultures, religions and countries.

Similarly, calls for journalistic boycotts of Israel are inimical to the free flow of information and journalistic objectivity, and must be opposed.

Rather than divestment from Israel, we believe that investment of time, energy and material aid is the best means to alleviate the ongoing suffering of Palestinians and Israelis. Engagement, rather than disengagement, with the Israeli people and the Palestinian people is needed, so that a just and fair resolution of this conflict may be pursued, and so that meaningful progress towards achieving the legitimate needs of Palestinians and Israelis can be made.

We offer our support to assist trade unionists as well as interested members of the community-at-large who are grappling with these matters, and who share our concern over simplistic and non-constructive approaches, whether in the form of misguided resolutions or other statements on the tragic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Stuart Appelbaum
President, Jewish Labor Committee
President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union / UFCW

Edward J. McElroy
Secretary, Jewish Labor Committee
President, American Federation of Teachers

Morton Bahr
Treasurer, Jewish Labor Committee

John J. Sweeney
President, AFL-CIO

Anna Burger
Chair, Change to Win

Clayola Brown
President, A. Philip Randolph Institute

Timothy A. Brown
International President, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots / ILA

R. Thomas Buffenbarger
International President,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

William Burrus
President, American Postal Workers Union

James Clark
President
International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers-Communications Workers of America

Larry Cohen
President, Communications Workers of America

Barbara J. Easterling
Secretary-Treasurer, Communications Workers of America

Patrick D. Finley
General President
Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada

John J. Flynn
President, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers

John Gage
President, American Federation of Government Employees

Leo W. Gerard
International President
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union

Ron Gettelfinger
President
United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America International Union

Michael Goodwin
President, Office and Professional Employees International Union

Larry V. Gregoire
President, International Chemical Workers Union Council / UFCW

James A. Grogan
General President, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers

Don M. Hahs
National President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen / IBT

Joseph T. Hansen
International President, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

Edwin D. Hill
International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

William P. Hite
General President
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada

James P. Hoffa
General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Joseph J. Hunt
General President
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers

Frank Hurt
International President
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union

Louis Lacarbonara
President, Italian-American Labor Council

D. Michael Langford
National President
Utility Workers Union of America

Thomas F. Lee
President, American Federation of Musicians

Jill S. Levy
President, American Federation of School Administrators

James C. Little
International President, Transport Workers Union of America

William Lucy
President, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists

Douglas J. McCarron
General President, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners

Gerald W. McEntee
President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Bruce S. Raynor
General President, UNITE HERE

Cecil E. Roberts
President, United Mine Workers of America

Michael Sacco
President, Seafarers International Union of North America

Robert A. Scardelletti
International President, Transportation Communications Union / IAM

Michael J. Sullivan
General President, Sheet Metal Workers International Association

George Tedeschi
President, Graphic Communications International Union / IBT

Patric M. Verrone
President, Writers Guild of America, West

Reg Weaver
President, National Education Association

James A. Williams
General President, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

List in formation

What is the Jewish Labor Committee?

2006-01-01T11:09:19Z

What is the JLC?
The Jewish Labor Committee is an independent secular organization that helps the Jewish community and the trade union movement work together on important issues of shared interest and concern. Our national headquarters are in New York City; we have staffed local/regional offices in Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles -- and volunteer-led JLC or JLC-affiliated groups in such places as Washington, DC; Cleveland, OH; Miami, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV, San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA.

]]> When was it formed?
The Jewish Labor Committee was formed in February, 1934, by Yiddish-speaking immigrant trade union leaders, and leaders of such groups as the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, the Jewish Labor Bund, and the United Hebrew Trades, in response to the rise of Nazism in Germany.

A four-page history of the JLC can be found here:
70 Years Strong: The Jewish Labor Committee Story

An excellent introduction to the Holocaust-era history of the JLC can be found online at:
LABOR AND THE HOLOCAUST:
The Jewish Labor Committee and the Anti-Nazi Struggle

About this website.
This website is a work in progress. We're including basic information on the organization, recent activities, contact information for JLC around the United States, basic readings on the Jewish Labor Movement, as well as the U.S. trade union movement in general, and links to other relevant websites.
You will also find a page called "Join the JLC!"
You are cordially invited to join our organization. Every member helps us in our activities, one way or the other.

Final note: if you have any questions about the JLC, please do not hesitate to contact us.
E-mail might be easiest: JLCExec@aol.com

Join us!

2006-01-01T11:09:18Z

You are Cordially Invited to Join the Jewish Labor Committee

For 71 years, the JLC has served as the bridge linking the Jewish community and organized labor in a shared commitment to economic and social justice. You can be a part of this historic tradition of working together to advance the cause of the Jewish people and to help create a better future for all.

You can join the outreach to the millions of families who are union members and all of the allied organizations and groups which support the labor movement.

If you share our concerns for human rights, respect for all in our increasingly diverse world, and Israel, you belong in the JLC. Individual dues are only $40 a year. By joining the JLC, you will be part of a progressive, community-oriented organization that will make your voice heard on behalf of justice and human rights.

E-mail us here JLCExec@aol.com with your name and address; we'll send you a membership form. Join the Jewish Labor Committee as we embark on a new century of struggle and service for the Jewish people.

Recent Activities: Arizona

2006-01-01T11:09:16Z

The Arizona JLC is working the Arizona Minimum Wage Coalition, which has brought together unions, community groups and a number of small businesses. One focus is a ballot initiative, filed with the secretary of state last November – to be decided by voters November 2006. There currently is no state minimum wage in Arizona; only the Federal minimum wage of $5 .15 an hour.

The initiative specifies that employers pay workers no less than $6.75 starting Jan. 1, 2007. It also mandates that the minimum wage be annually adjusted for inflation, based on the percentage increase in the U.S. Department of Labor's consumer price index over a one-year span. Businesses with yearly gross revenue less than $500,000 would be exempt from these requirements. Their employees would keep the federal government's minimum wage.

]]> Earlier in 2006, the Arizona Chapter focused on two major issues: The Wal-Mart Campaign and a new state-wide campaign: Raise the Minimum Wage for Working Arizonans. We were briefed by Mike Vespoli, Political Action Director in Arizona of the United Food and Commercial Workers, who outlined the difficult campaign to organize Wal-Mart workers and showed excerpts of the film, "The High Cost of Low Wages," Paul Rubin, Arizona JLC Chair and Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 99, a state-wide local, who chaired the meeting and described the recently concluded strike and lockout in California.

Arizona JLC Representative Herman Brown serves as a delegate to the Maricopa Area Labor Federation from the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans; both are entities of the AFL-CIO [MALF replaced the former Phoenix Central Labor Council and the Alliance replaced the Senior Action Council.] He notes that he always introduces himself as Arizona Representative of the Jewish Labor Committee, as well as a delegate of the Arizona ARA.

And here are some activities from 2005:
In January, National JLC Representative Herman Brown, based in the Phoenix area, and previously Regional Director of the NE JLC, attended the first meeting of the Arizona Coalition to Protect Social Security, sponsored by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and chaired by Doug Hart, formerly of SEIU. “At Doug’s request,” reported Brother Brown, “I agreed to serve as Chair of an Outreach Committee. It is our hope,” he concluded, “to involve leaders of the Jewish community in the work of the Coalition.”

The Arizona JLC Chapter held a Labor Seder in April, cosponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Greater Phoenix Jewish Federation, and held in the Federation’s headquarters in Scottsdale. The cost of the Seder was contributed by Malka Arony, an Arizona JLC Chapter member, in memory of her late brother, Michael Arony. Representative Brown reported that among those present at the Seder were key staff of the Arizona State AFL-CIO, including its president and executive director, the president and secretary-treasurer of the statewide Local 99 UFCW, the executive director of the JCRC, a vice president of the Labor Committee for Latin American Advancement, the newly-appointed Arizona representative of the AFL-CIO, the president of the Arizona Federation of Teachers, and leading members and staff of the Arizona Education Association, the American Federation of Government Employees, and Local 135 United Union of Roofers.
Representative Brown represented the Arizona JLC at the annual convention of the Arizona Coalition to Protect Social Security, held at the Wyndham Hotel in August. He also participated in the Convention of the Arizona Alliance, in September. He was elected a Vice President of the Alliance at a September Executive Committee meeting, and represents the Alliance [as well as the JLC] at the newly-formed Maricopa Area Labor Federation, which succeeded the Phoenix Central Labor Council.
The Arizona JLC has been involved in defense of the rights of immigrant workers and their families. Earlier, we helped form an Immigration Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix; later, we were able to help the JCRC pass a resolution on immigrant rights. Brother Brown was at the first meeting of, and the Arizona JLC subsequently joined, the newly-formed Arizona Coalition for Migrant Rights. JLC is represented on the Coalition’s Leadership Training and Capacity Building Committee.

Recent Activities: California-Western Region

2006-01-01T11:09:15Z

Last December, the California-Western Region of the Jewish Labor Committee joined members of the Communication Workers of America, California Nurses Association, members of USW Locals 675, 2801 and others rallying in Long Beach, CA during a nationwide day of support for Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers. On October 5th, responding to unacceptable contract offers Goodyear management, over 14,000 USW members went out on strike for job security and the guarantee of healthcare in their retirement. 86 days later, the union members at Goodyear ratified a new three-year contract. All striking Steelworkers returned to work January 2, 2007. [Photo by Cookie Lommel]

]]> This year's Los Angeles Labor Seder, the "Entertainment Industry Labor Passover Seder," will be held at the headquarters of the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists. The seder was a projecty of the California-Western Region of the Jewish Labor Committee and AFTRA, in conjunction with Habonim Dror, Ameinu and Na’amat USA.

CA-WR JLC is active in the Hotel Workers Rising Campaign of UNITE HERE, and has been since we participated in its launch at the downtown Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles in February. This campaign is aimed at highlighting poor working conditions and help increase wages for hotel workers who are not making a living wage. The hotel industry is one of the faster growing industries in America. Notables at the event included Senator John Edwards and actor Danny Glover, who were among a range of celebrities, labor leaders and community activist who joined several hundred hotel workers to launch a mu1ti-city awareness campaign.

On Saturday, April 1st, at Historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, California-Western Region JLC members and staff joined thousands who gathered to celebrate the 8th Annual Cesar Chavez Walk L.A. We’ve participated in these walks since their inception.

CA-WR JLC joined with faculty members, students other community supporters of the California Faculty Association at a rally held in February during the California State University Board of Trustees budget meeting in the CSU Board of Trustees Auditorium in Long Beach. The purpose of this gathering was to draw public attention to the increased student fees, low wages for the professors, lecturers, librarians and counselors on 23 CSU campuses through the California State University System.

CA-WR JLC is supporting IATSE Local 33 in its dispute with Temple Shalom for the Arts. IATSE Local 33, the union representing theatrical stage hands, has launched an educational campaign at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. For the first time in 30 years, the Wilshire Theater's new owner, Temple Shalom for the Arts, has turned staging over to a non-union company, leaving 50 IATSE workers without work.

Since Temple Shalom purchased the Wilshire Theatre late last year from the Nederlander Organization, its leadership has refused to negotiate with Local 33. As a result, IATSE Local 33 has launched a campaign to let Temple Shalom's officers, board of directors and congregants know about the anti-union stance in order to bring them to the table. This is a complicated matter, as most of the congregants who attend Temple Shalom for the Arts are members of entertainment industry unions and guilds. IATSE Local 33 has a long history with both the Wilshire Theater and the Temple Shalom for the Arts - Local 33 members have worked at the Wilshire Theatre when Temple Shalom held its High Holy Day services there in the past. However, when the Temple held its most recent services, for their annual Shared Heritage of Freedom service, on March 17, 2006, the stagehands were non-union.

Director Lommel was a guest on KPCC Radio "Talk of the City with Host Kitty Felde,” a broadcast roundtable discussion commemorating the 40th anniversary of the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.

CA-WR JLC is now represented by Director Lommel on the Council of Affiliate Organizations (CAO) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Executive Committee; as a result, JLC has greater visibility within the Jewish Federation and gives our work in the community a higher level of exposure. CAO is the only place in the Jewish Federation where individuals can run for a seat on the Federation board and the only place where potentially, all Jewish organizations and synagogues could come together.

And here are some activities from 2005:
California - Western Region [CA-WR] Director Cookie Lommel noted JLC coordinated two debates of Los Angeles mayoral candidates, held in January, 2005 at two major synagogues. Approximately 200 people attended each event.

Also in January, Director Lommel was active in the national AFL-CIO Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend observance, January 13th - 17th, held for the first time in Los Angeles.

This April’s Labor Seder in Los Angeles, “the Jewish Labor Committee Annual Entertainment Industry Labor Seder,” was cosponsored by two entertainment industry unions, the Writers Guild of America West, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Among the 90+ attendees were the mayor of Los Angeles, actor Ed Asner, the secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, the president of Local 434B SEIU, representatives of the California Nurses Association, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.

On June 5th, the CA-WR JLC held its Annual Awards Recognition Brunch, marking the 71st Anniversary of the founding of the Jewish Labor Committee. The Honorable Fabian Núñez, Speaker of the State Assembly; William S. Lambert, Director of Government Relations of the United Teachers Los Angeles; Jim Santangelo, President of Joint Council 42, IBT, and Shirley Roberts, community activist and Vice President of the CA-WR JLC, were the awardees at this event in Hollywood. Also present was Mayor-elect and JLC member Antonio Villagarosa.

In August, CA-WR JLC endorsed Proposition 79, the “Cheaper Prescription Drugs for California” Act, intended to provide affordable prescription drugs for eight to 10 million low- and moderate-income Californians who need help with high prescription drug costs, including seniors, the working uninsured, and people with chronic illnesses. The Act harnesses the state’s purchasing power to negotiate enforceable discounts from prescription drug companies.

In September, Local 685, AFSCME, the Los Angeles Probation Officers Union, reached out to JLC for assistance – they had been working without a contract and were having a problem with the Board of County Supervisors. We were able to arrange a meeting with Rabbi Steven Carr-Rueben, president of the Southern California Board of Rabbis to advance the officers complaint. Later in the year, we spoke with high school age students of Rabbi Carr’s congregation on the labor movement, the history of the American Jewish labor movement, and today’s work of the Jewish Labor Committee.

Recent Activities: Chicago

2006-01-01T11:09:14Z

Chicago JLC has been working with AFSCME Council 31 campaign, now over two years old, to organize 8,000 workers - including 2,000 nurses - at Resurrection Health Care, the second largest hospital system in the Chicago area. At a press conference in November, more than two dozen Resurrection nurses cited inadequate staffing levels, lax infection controls, deteriorating and outdated equipment and insufficient supplies as impediments to their ability to care for patients safely.

Chicago JLC reaches out to community synagogues and temples to hold Labor on the Bimah programs every year. Local JLC members have been active in numerous congregational and other Jewish community events; we are among the sponsors of the annual Walk for Israel / Israel Solidarity Day. Chicago JLC President Mike Perry is the Chair of the Domestic Affairs Commission of the local Jewish Community Relations Council.

]]> Chicago JLC has been working locally in support of UNITE-HERE’S efforts to organize Cintas workers. In mid-September, the Illinois Attorney General's Office filed suit against Cintas subcontractor Sewing Systems, a Chicago apparel factory that sews garments for Cintas, for violations of the minimum wage.

Chicago JLC joined with other picketers at the Congress Plaza Hotel. Workers, affiliated with Local 1 of UNITE HERE, have been on strike since June 2003, after hotel owners cut wages and benefits; hundreds of customers complained of poor service and hazardous and unsanitary conditions. With support from many labor, religious and community organizations, the striking workers have maintained the picket line for a year and a half. Dozens of groups and conferences have moved or canceled their events after learning of the strike.
Chicago JLC has worked with Local 4, SEIU, to secure better working conditions for nursing home employees throughout Illinois, and ensure quality services for those living in these facilities.

Chicago JLC is part of the Healthy Illinois Campaign, a statewide coalition of nearly 1000 small businesses, health care providers, labor, religious organizations and churches, elected officials, urban and civic associations, and non-profit organizations that are currently working throughout the state in support of The Healthy Illinois Act (Senate Bill 11) - to significantly expand access to quality, affordable health insurance for all Illinoisans.

Chicago JLC works with the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues on a number of campaigns, including some of those mentioned above.