Mediator Named in Strike

Mayor John V. Lindsay has named a mediator in the strike of the 400 group-work personnel of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, which was in its 16th day today. The appointee is Harold G. Israel-son, a veteran labor negotiator with offices on Fifth Avenue. He will bold his first meeting with the parties Thursday afternoon in the Roger Smith Hotel. Erik Strong, spokesman for Local 1707, Community and Social Agency Employees Union, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: “We got them to the bargaining table, anyway. That’s something.” A Federation spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Also today, members of Federation’s Golden Age Clubs converged on the organization’s headquarters and sent a delegation of nine to meet with Graenum Berger, consultant on community centers. According to Strong there were 300 Golden Agers altogether; according to Berger, 80 to 90. Strong said they asked Federation officials to “use their influence” toward settling the group workers’ contract grievances and cease using the “cop out” that they may not participate in the affairs of affiliated agencies. Berger told the JTA that because Federation had “no contract with the union,” it had “no right” to “deal directly” in the matter. But Federation, he said, “has urged our agencies to do everything humanly possible to resolve this situation.”