Human Dignity and Labor 1987

Jun 1, 1987 — HUMAN DIGNITY AND LABOR

WHEREAS Jewish law commands us to uphold the dignity of all workers, regardless of their station or task, and relations between employer and employee are spelled out explicitly in scriptures. And,

WHEREAS the United states have been among the most progressive nations in promoting the rights of working men and women to work under conditions of safety, security and dignity, and

WHEREAS agricultural workers, many of whom are migrants, remain among the most wretched segments of our society, victims of scandalous living conditions and wages, routinely denied health care and education for their children, and

WHEREAS miners often work, and sometimes die, under appalling safety conditions, with many more dying an early death from respiratory illness, particularly “Black Lung” disease, induced by coal dust, and

WHEREAS workers in chemical factories may be exposed to dangerous chemicals or radiation, the effects of which are not recognized or diagnosed for many years,

The Rabbinical Council of America in convention assembled,

RESOLVES to speak out vigorously whenever human dignity is compromised by unsafe working conditions,

SUPPORTS ATTEMPTS to ameliorate conditions in these areas, and,

SUPPORTS LEGISLATION that will raise the standards of employment in these respective industries.