Uja-federation Formally Launches 1976 Drive to Meet Humanitarian Needs

The United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies Joint Campaign formally launched Tuesday night the New York Jewish community’s 1976 effort to provide philanthropic aid to endangered and needy Jews in Israel and elsewhere overseas and to the member agencies of Federation, which serves 1,5 million New Yorkers each year. The dinner at the New York Hilton, attended by more than 600 leaders, was picketed by employes on strike against the Federation and the Joint Campaign. They are members of the Community and Social Agency Employees Union, District Council 1707 AFSCME (AFL-CIO).

Charles Ballon, chairman of the Labor Relations and Personnel Committee of both Federation and the Joint Campaign, made public a memorandum he has sent to Jewish community leaders, noting that the dispute is in mediation and expressing hope for an early resolution.

Ballon stated that the leadership of Federation and Joint Campaign, in establishing guidelines for his committee’s conduct of negotiations with the union, “carefully weighed the vital requirements of Israel and of our member agencies, the need to keep operating expenses at a-moderate level, and the economic plight of New York City, while giving maximum consideration to the needs of our workers and the impact on them and their families of the increased cost of living.”

He reported that “the executive staff of the Joint Campaign and Federation are carrying on the work of the two organizations as effectively as possible. To date, the 1970 Joint Campaign has been conducted as planned, All of the community inaugural dinners of the campaign were held as scheduled with excellent attendance and, more important, with very encouraging fund-raising results.” Joint Campaign officials noted that initial 1076 activities have raised between $10 and $11 million, representing a substantial increase over last year in the contributions of these whose giving is included in that amount.