U.S. Labor Unions to Solicit a One-day’s Pay from Members for Need in Israel

The American trade union movement would be asked to make contributions from union treasuries and to solicit a day’s pay from members of organized labor in the United States as voluntary contributions to the needs of the Histadrut, Israel’s Labor Federation, stemming from the impact of the Arab-Israeli war, it was announced here today by Charles S. Zimmerman, chairman of the board of the National Committee for Labor Israel.

He made the announcement at an emergency meeting of the board at which a report was presented by Yehoshua Levy. Histadrut treasurer. Mr. Levy, who arrived directly from Tel Aviv told the board that Israel was confronted by “a major economic task” of resuming its industrialization and absorbing manpower soon to be released from active military duty. He said the Histadrut network of health, educational and welfare institutions was feeling a financing pinch and creating a huge Histadrut deficit. He appealed to American trade unions to expand their financial aid from the $1,000,000 pledged, before war broke out on June 5, to several times that amount.

Moe Falikman, chairman of the American Trade Union Council for Histadrut, told the meeting that the Council would definitely accept a higher goal to assist their fellow trade unionists in Israel. Louis Hollander, a vice-president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America said his union had voted a contribution of $300,000 in cash to the Histadrut Trade Union Fund. By agreement with the Israel Emergency Fund of the United Jewish Appeal, it was indicated, emergency fund raising among labor groups will be channeled through the Histadrut Trade Union Council.

In addition to cash gifts, the American labor movement has pledged to subscribe to $10,000,000 worth of AMPAL debentures to help modernize cooperative enterprises in Israel. Last month, George Meany, president of the AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO executive council, agreed to subscribe to the debentures.