Hillel Rabbis Picket B’nai B’rith Headquarters Seeking Union Pact; Demands Rejected As Inappropriate

A group of about 25 B’nai B’rith Hillel rabbis and other staff employes of B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundations from all parts of the United States picketed a meeting of the B’nai B’rith Board of Governors at the organization’s headquarters here yesterday in their demand for a union contract.

During their six hours of picketing, the demonstrators carried signs which said “Stop Exploiting Hillel Professionals — Recognize Us Now” and “Your Exploitation Policy is Unfair.”

The board issued a statement yesterday asserting that B’nai B’rith International (BBI) had collective bargaining agreements with three unions but that it felt that such agreements with Hillel directors and Hillel unit staff members “would neither be appropriate nor realistic.”

Rabbi Gerald Serotta, president of the Association of Hillel and Jewish Campus Professionals, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency yesterday that “B’nai B’rith’s denial comes at the end of several years of seeking meaningful participation in salary negotiations on the part of directors of Hillel Foundations at college campuses. After an overwhelming vote of the Hillel professionals, the association joined the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employes (AFSCME) and asked for recognition in February, 1983.”

HILLEL SPOKESMAN SEEKS ‘FAIRNESS’

Serotta said the Board of Governors’ rejection came on “the anniversary of its positive decision in May, 1976, to recognize the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization staff association, also associated with AFSCME, for purposes of collective bargaining.”

He added that “we are very disappointed that the Board of Governors has failed to recognize even the principle of our right to negotiate, and that the (Hillel) rabbis had no choice other than to begin a public campaign to win recognition.”

He also told the JTA that the issue is “basically an issue of fairness for any employe.” He added there are many discussions in Jewish sacred lore about treating employes with dignity and compassion, “which apply to this particular situation,”

Rejection of the request of the Hillel professionals for union recognition was voted by the Board of Governors yesterday.

Serotta read the text of a telegram from Rabbi Joseph Glaser, executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the association of Reform rabbis, sent to Dr. Daniel Thursz, BBI executive vice president, which said. “Urge B’nai B’rith recognize right of Hillel directors to negotiate. Cannot understand refusal. You, as an outspoken proponent of justice and democracy, should be first to support such an elementary right.”

Declaring that there are 65 Hillel rabbis and directors, Serotta declared “we intend to press our case publicly” in the Jewish community “because we think a majority of B’nai B’rith members and the Jewish community” support the demonstrators’ cause.

KRAFT CITES UNIQUENESS OF WORK

The board statement, signed by Gerald Kraft, BBI president, declared that “the work of Hillel directors is highly individualistic and requires an unusual variety of skills, depending upon a particular Foundation” and that BBI “believes that this situation does not lend itself to a collective approach to salary negotiations.”

Kraft also asserted that salaries of Hillel staff members “are determined only in part by B’nai B’rith,” adding that “in some Hillel units, salary and benefit costs are shared between B’nai B’rith and other local community sources. Therefore, we felt that we could not fulfill the function of collective bargaining for just a part of a salary.”

He also declared that “surprisingly,” the association request for union recognition “came at a time when we had been working closely and cooperatively to develop a sophisticated system for Hillel posts throughout the country.” The statement did not give any details of those talks. Kraft said BBI regretted that the demonstrators had made an attempt “to pressure B’nai B’rith through a public display rather than through a continuation of what had been a fruitful dialogue.”

Kraft said BBI had collective bargaining pacts with the Communications Workers of America for the agency’s headquarters clerical staff; with AFSCME as agent for the agency’s Youth Organization field staff; and with the Executive Staff Association “on subjects other than salaries” with professional staff members at the agency’s headquarters “and in the field.”