IN SUPPORT OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS

Whereas collective bargaining is a process of negotiating between employers and the representatives of employees, aimed at reaching agreement to regulate terms and conditions of employment, and

Whereas Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ratified by the U. S. A. in 1992 and Canada in 1976) states: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of their interests,” and

Whereas our Jewish tradition supports fair and appropriate treatment for workers, provides for a day of rest, and exhorts all to “not take advantage of the hired worker,” and

Whereas the Core Principles of the Society for Humanistic Judaism state:

• “We seek solutions to human conflicts that respect the freedom, dignity, and self-esteem of every human being, and
• “We are committed, in the enduring Jewish tradition of support for social action and social progress, to community services and actions for social justice, and
• “We each take responsibility for our own behavior, and all of us take collective responsibility for the state of our world,” and

Whereas the Society for Humanistic Judaism recognizes that in certain instances, collective bargaining is a fair and useful means for workers to have a meaningful voice in negotiating with their employers to ensure that they receive a fair wage, reasonable working conditions, and a safe work environment;

Therefore be it resolved:

• That the Society for Humanistic Judaism proclaims its support for the rights of all workers to earn a fair wage and enjoy safe and reasonable working conditions as an expression of their human dignity, and
• That the Society for Humanistic Judaism proclaims its support of the institution of collective bargaining where necessary to protect the basic rights of workers to earn a fair wage and enjoy safe and reasonable working conditions, and
• That the Society for Humanistic Judaism urges all governments to protect the rights of workers to earn a fair wage and enjoy safe and reasonable working conditions.

— June 2011