Union Pickets Federation, Threatens Strike; Federation Says It is Not Involved in Dispute

The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies was picketed this afternoon by more than 100 members of Local 1707 of the Community and Social Agency Employes Union, AFL-CIO, demanding higher wages for 400 professional group-work agency employes. The employes, who have been without a contract since last Feb., will go on strike Dec. 12 unless their salary demands are met, according to Eric Strong, spokesman for Local 1707. The Federation says, however, that it is not involved in the dispute which is between workers and the Federation’s affiliated 20 YM-YWHA’s and other community centers such as the Educational Alliance and Bronx House.

In a statement given to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Sanford Solender, executive vice-president of the Federation said, “The demonstrations by members of Local 1707 concerns a dispute in which Federation is not and cannot be involved. The group workers and clerical and maintenance employes represented here are all employed by volunteer-supported community centers affiliated with Federation. Each of these organizations is independent and autonomous. Their boards of directors bear sole responsibility for their organizations’ labor relations. Under its by-laws, Federation cannot interfere in the internal management of its beneficiary societies nor does it participate in any manner whatsoever in the negotiations which are currently underway.”

Strong told the JTA that the group workers are demanding a wage increase equal to those granted case workers last spring. He said it would amount to raises of from $25 to $300 more per year. The employes’s three-year contract expired last Feb, 1. To avoid a cut-back of Federation services, Local 1707 agreed last April 21 to a temporary stipulation to run through Nov. 30, Strong said. He said the temporary pace “left unresolved a whole pile of original demands. Management has said no to all of them.”