THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 22, 1918 1
No Progress Reported in United Hebrew School Teacher Strike
By ALAN HITSKY
•
Negotiators for the
United Hebrew Schools' 50
teachers reported little pro-
gress in negotiations as the
UHS teachers' strike
entered its third week this
week.
Teachers Menachem
Glaser and Joseph Baras
said on Wednesday the
negotiating team for the
UHS board again refused
the teachers' proposal to
submit the dispute to bind-
ing arbitration.
The teachers have re-
atedly offered to end the
—rike during arbitration
and open classes for 1,400
students.
The two sides met with
state mediator William
Ellman from 8 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. Wednesday. The
teachers said they of-
fered to continue to meet
with the board's negotiat-
ing team Wednesday af-
ternoon, or to reconvene
Wednesday evening or on
Thursday, but the
board's negotiators re-
fused to meet until
Ellman can be present at
2 p.m. today.
The teachers say they
have asked for an eight per-
cent increase in wages this
year, and cost of living in-
creases for the remaining
years of any new contract.
They said the Detroit in-
crease in the cost of living
was approximately 7'/2 per-
cent this year.
The UHS negotiators
lave increased their
counter offer to a 31/2 percent
wage increase, according to
the teachers, but are now
asking the teachers to pay
any increases in insurange
premiums. They had prey-
iously suggested that the
* * *IL
Yeshiva and
Teachers In
Partial Accord
Secular studies teachers
at Yeshivath Beth Yehuda
did not teach on Monday,
after the teachers and the
school failed to reach
agreement by the teachers'
Sunday strike deadline.
A tentative agreement
was reached, however,
Monday evening, and the
teachers returned to their
classrooms on Tuesday.
According to Ezra
Roberg, one of the members
of the teachers' negotiating
am, the teachers accepted
10 percent salary in-
rease. However, whether
that increase will be for one
year, or the same rate of pay
will remain in effect for two
years, is still subject to
negotiation.
Roberg said the
teachers and the school
will re-open the negotia-
tions after the holidays.
Roberg complimented the
school's negotiators. "Even
though we had a one-day
strike, there was always a
very gracious line of com-
munication," Roberg said.
This was the first year that
Beth Yehuda secular
studies teachers negotiated
as a group.
teachers pay 30 percent of at the top of the Bachelor
the premium costs, which of Arts scale received a
have been fully paid by salary of $23.31 for each
UHS in previous contracts. teaching hour during the
Glaser and Baras said a past 1977-78 school year.
petition with 500 signa- Any salary increase for
tures was submitted to UHS UHS teachers for 1978-79
on Tuesday, calling for will further widen the
binding arbitration in the spread between public
school teachers and our
dispute.
The United Hebrew own teachers.
Schools 'board has not
"In addition, UHS pays
met since the week before full family hospitalization
the strike began, and the coverage for teachers teach-
teachers complain that ing 12 or more hours. This
UHS board members are hospitalization insurance
not aware of how the costs the UHS over $1,400
negotiations are being per year for each eligible
conducted.
teacher. To qualify for a
A letter was sent to par- corresponding employer-
ent&of UHS students and to paid hospital benefit, the
board members on Wednes- average public school
day, over the signature of teacher teaches 25.6 hours
Mrs. Rose Kay, president of per week.
the UHS board. In her let-
"The UHS teacher now
ter, Mrs. Kay said:
gets the same hospital
"The original request of fringe for less than one-half
the Teachers' Union was for e of the contract teaching
a 25 percent increase in sal- hours. In addition, the UHS
ary scale plus major re- teacher has board paid den-
visions in the contract. It tal, short-term disability
has been very difficult for and long-term disability in-
our negotiating team to surance.
"Public school teachers
meet such demands.
receive a pension for which
"Teachers at the top of their boards contribute five
the salary scale holding a percent of salary per year.
Bachelor of Arts degree UHS contributed 11 percent
in four surrounding area of salary in 1977-78 for 12 or
public schools will re- more hourteachers. Life in-
ceive, on an average, a surance in these four school
salary of $29.79 for each districts ranges from
teaching hour during the $13,000 to $35,000. UHS
new 1978-1979 school provides life -Insurance
year. Our UHS teachers ranging from $35,000 for 12
hour teachers to $61,400 for
20 hour teachers.
"All of us have every rea-
son to be proud of the way
we have dealt with the
teachers of the United He-
brew Schools in the past and
we wish o assure you that
we are dealing in a respon-
sible and proper fashion at
the present time as well. We
hope that there will be an
amicable and proper set-
tlement around the
negotiating table in the
near future."
Mrs. Kay told The Jewish
News that the board's
executive committee has
been meeting regularly and
that she is calling a full
board meeting next week.
The Rabbinical Council of
Detroit, operating under
the aegis of the Jewish
You're
Invited
Community Council, on
Wednesday offered its serv-
ices to help mediate the
UHS teachers' strike, ac-
cording to Rabbi Israel Hal-
pern, president of the rab-
binical body.
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