Fein: Why Labor Issues Are Jewish Issues

( Please keep in mind that I am always writing for both our own community here and those who are visiting these pages.)

When those of our fellow citizens who have to work for others, in order to earn what should be decent wages that affords them a relatively decent living have the right to bargain, negotiate and, if need be, strike, are denied their right to form or join existing, adequately empowered Unions all of society is at risk of being totally at the mercy of the wealthiest few! After all, Unions exist, in principle, to ensure the rights of employees to fair wages, decent and safe working conditions/environments and fair retirements and lay-off settlements. Organised labour is the bedrock foundation for the development of a strong, healthy, educated Middle Class, without which any country can be easily coerced and over-exploited by domestic and foreign enemies, including conflict-profiteering plutocratic fascists. The ideal society envisaged by Moses, Our Teacher, is one that is Free, Fair and has a Future! Responsibly Liberal Progressive Democratic Jewish values include respecting the rights of both those types of private capitalists whose businesses produce and/or offer quality products, services and employment conditions and those workers who understand the need to accept reasonable, viable compromises that can best insure that the business can effectively compete on the open markets. The delicate balance between employer and employee is touched upon directly and indirectly in many examples offered in the various collections of Jewish books that discuss Halacha (Jewish Laws governing all manner of things, including treatment of workers, etc.). Judaism is ultimately about true Freedom; the Freedom of each individual person to live as they chose to live and not have their life and conduct dictated by other people. A correct interpretation of the TORAH is based on the principle that we must have Free Will in order to be able to begin to fulfil our obligations to G-D and one-another. It is said that a Yeshiva where there are no loud and even sometimes almost violent arguments over differences in interpretation is a Yeshiva that will fail to produce any good Rabbis (Teachers of TORAH and Halacha) and any good Dayana (community dispute resolvers, or ‘judges’). So it is that any society that silences its working class citizens is going to become sick and self-destruct! After all; what good is any profit made if the society you live in is dangerous and unhappy! the measure of one’s true wealth should never be calculated purely in terms of amounts of money and possessions, but in terms of quality of life, personal, familial and societal!