The New York Telephone Co. has dropped a long-standing policy of refusing to hire computer programmers who are Sabbath observers, following several months of negotiations with the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs, Julius Berman, COLPA president, reported. The test case involved a Brooklyn Jew who applied for examination for such a post and was rejected. Mr. Berman said the applicant was told specifically that the firm did not hire Sabbath observers for such jobs because their religious requirements could create complications in the company’s computer operations. He said COLPA decided to seek an agreement on hiring such applicants, rather than by filing a formal complaint. Howard Rhine, an attorney and COLPA vice-president, prepared and sent a letter to the company president, protesting the no-hiring policy. The COLPA official then began a series of discussions which led to a company decision to drop the ban. The agreement was confirmed in a letter from James T. Horris, assistant vice-president to COLPA.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
