Leave them Teachers Alone!

October 25, 2007 - 10:52 AM by Liza

Several days ago, my colleague (and most excellent pal) Stephanie wrote a post on a subject that’s taken the local English-language writing world by storm lately – the possible creation of a freelancers union. The pros and cons have been discussed on the local independent writers list and debated ad nauseum on the especially lively local technical communicators list. While I’m still not sure where my feelings lie on the subject, there’s a brand new union that I support wholeheartedly.

According to this article on the Haaretz website, a group of more than 100 kindergarten teachers – all women – have made their mark on history by forming the first ultra-Orthodox labor union. The decision to create the union came about four years ago, after the ultra-Orthodox educational network, in a bid to cut costs, began sending dismissal letters to all teachers with more than 25 years of seniority.

“The kindergarten teachers shattered a taboo in ultra-Orthodox society – fighting for one’s rights. These women are all their families’ sole wage earners, some are widows, and others are single parents. All have large families and worked devotedly for many years, when suddenly they were faced with the threat of dismissal, as if the rug were being pulled out from underneath them. Creating the labor union was a real fight for survival.

The initiative came from a group of several dozen kindergarten teachers who were determined to influence the decisions made under the recovery program (required by the Education Ministry). After they realized that the Agudat Yisrael’s teachers union – where they had no representation whatsoever, as women and as kindergarten teachers – did not intend to help them, they decided to take action. The network argued in court that it is not halakhically acceptable for women to be elected and to represent workers, and therefore it is ignoring the organization. But the kindergarten teachers obtained rabbinic permission to form their union, and within a few weeks, more than 100 kindergarten teachers, both young and old, had joined their ranks.”

I’m always impressed by women who stand up and fight for their rights, even more so when the women in question are forced to take on a battle that won’t necessarily be perceived as acceptable within the confines of the society in which they live. Way to go, ladies.

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