The Three Commandments: Does number two still apply?
August 29, 2012 
3 Comments
As a kid, I thought there were three (not ten) COMMANDMENTS in our family. I’m not sure anymore what elevated these three over “be honest,” “no playing on the stairs,” or “stay away from my peonies,” but here they are:
1. Thou shalt vote.
2. Thou shalt not cross a picket line.
3. On Friday night, thou shalt turn off the TV and come to Shabbat dinner, even if Star Trek is on.
For Labor Day, I’d like to look at number 2. Should Jews still support labor unions?
Here are some Jewish reasons I think we should:
1. Power: Our prophets knew the dangers of economic power. Employers exercise enormous power over workers. Unions provide a counterbalance.
2. Voice. Our tradition is big on voice. “Hear, O Israel….” “Doing Torah” is all about voice. Shouldn’t workers have a voice in their working lives?
3. Covenant. The prophetic opposite of power relations is covenant relations. We band together. We relate to each other in ways we’ve mutually agreed upon.
4. Our ancestors were slaves who rebelled against Pharaoh and garment workers who rebelled against oppressive bosses.
5. It’s a mitzvah to do what’s good for our country. Labor unions are good for the country. Studies show they increase productivity. They help keep more people more comfortably middle class and help prevent extreme income inequality that tends to crash economies.
It’s true that unions, like corporations and democratic government, can become greedy and corrupt. We need safeguards against that. And 21st century modes of work require 21st century methods of organizing folks to give them power and voice in their own lives. But organized labor is still necessary for the ethical and economic well-being of the country. The second of the Three Commandments still applies.
To learn more about Jews and the Labor Movement or to get involved, here are some links:
The RAC’s labor issues page
The Jewish Labor Committee
Interfaith Worker Justice
The Jewish Women’s Archive has lesson plans available at Living the Legacy: Jews in the Labor Movement
Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz is the rabbi at Temple Bnai Israel in Connecticut and a 2012-2013 Brickner Fellow.
Hmm… Maybe your first mistake was thinking those were actual commandments. Yes, sometimes business owners are oppressive. In America we have the freedom to quit and work for one who isn’t. You claim that unions keep things fair. It is apparent that the power balance is not fair at all. When people are forced to join a union in order to have the job, and when their mandatory dues are used to help political causes that they very well may not agree with, that is a form of slavery. How can you then condone that? So many of the union bosses are unethical and only looking out for their own interests. Until we all return to a belief in the ORIGINAL 10 commandments and each side treats the other with genuine concern and respect, we’ll continue our divisive, angry downward spiral into chaos. How about starting this new year in a radically new way? Actually trying to see an issue from the other person’s point of view instead of demonizing the “other side” and causing even more division. We are all Americans and our country’s strength lives or dies by how we treat each other.
Wow. I am a business owner. I support organized labor. My parents and My in-laws were also business owners and they supported organized labor. I am stunned. I am so used to the modern era Rabbi avoiding any political issues so NOT to offend any donors. Having met and experienced the teaching of Balfour Brickner and worshipped with his son Barney, I think you are quite representative of the Brickner tradition. You are special!
Two bibliographies and an invitation:
The American Jewish Labor Movement – Basic Sources http://www.jewishlaborcommittee.org/2006/01/readings_on_the_american_jewis_1.html
Traditional Jewish texts on Labor and Worker Rights – Basic Sources
http://www.jewishlaborcommittee.org/2006/01/readings_on_traditional_jewish_1.html
And you’ve cordially invited to peruse our FB page, and if interested, to “like” it and join in the conversation! https://www.facebook.com/Jewish.Labor.Committee