Howard I. Rhine, a Vice President of the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs, reported today that despite advances brought about as a result of COLPA efforts, discrimination against Sabbath Observers is still practiced by many companies. Mr. Rhine and Sidney Kwestel, Chairmen of the COLPA Sabbath Observer Committee, have intervened in a lawsuit brought by a Christian employee of the Reynolds Metals Company who refused to work on Sunday. This case has received nationwide attention and it is generally regarded as having a good chance of being heard by the United States Supreme Court.
Rhine and Kwestel expressed the belief that COLPA’s position and pioneering work in the field of job discrimination on religious grounds would be completely accepted by the courts and government agencies throughout the country. In a letter to over 1,000 agencies, Mr. Julius Berman, President of COLPA, pointed out that job discrimination was contrary to Federal and State law and was “injurious not only to the individuals directly involved but also to the community.” He noted further that “abundant experience shows that Sabbath observers make first-rate employees.” COLPA’s campaign came about because it has received a fairly large number of complaints claiming job discrimination by employment agencies.
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