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Haifa Labor Dispute Ends in Arrest of Fifty-eight Rioters

January 16, 1934
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Fourteen Revisionists, right wing Zionists, and four members of the Histadruth, central labor organization, were arrested here and several more were injured as the result of a labor quarrel between the Revisionists and the Histadruth which broke out last Tuesday, and which has resulted in the arrest of fifty-eight of the combatants.

The dispute began when a contracting firm owned by the Revisionists refused to sign a collective agreement regarding terms for the employment of Jewish labor. This agreement has already been signed by thirty-two contracting firms of Haifa. The Revisionists alone refused to sign. The Histadruth thereupon called a strike in a building in Hadar HcCarmel upon which Revisionists and members of the Histadruth were working. When the Revisionists refrained from striking and offered to make up the shortage of labor, the local workers’ council began picketing. The Revisionist workers resented the picketing and declared that they were exclusively entitled to the work, and had merely allowed a few Histadruth members to work there.

After the Haifa Communal council failed in an attempt to mediate, the Revisionists, who have few members in Haifa, brought in reinforcements from outside. Saturday they paraded through the main street of Hadar HaCarmel. The marchers clashed with onlookers in the streets. Attorney Meyerowitz, secretary of the Palestine Revisionists, was injured in the fighting.

An appeal issued by the Haifa contractors protested the attitude adopted by the Revisionist contractors. The Vaad Leumi, the Jewish National Council, has been invited to arbitrate, Pending a settlement of the dispute, a truce has been arranged between the two factions.

PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE ALUMNI

Many uptown residents are expected to attend the “Around the World Cruise” dance to be given by the Alumni Club of the Park Avenue Synagogue, 50 East 87th Street, on Saturday night in the vestry rooms. A program of entertainment will be presented by local talent and refreshments will be served. Morton H. Oppenheim is president of the group.

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