24 Friday, September 23, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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Teachers Continue Picketing
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28585 Telegraph Rd. Across From Tel-Twelve Mall
Southfield, Mich.
Picketing by teachers at
Akiva Hebrew Day School
continues into its third
week as negotiations bet-
ween the striking teachers
and the school's bargaining
team move slowly.
The two sides met Sept.
11 and 19 in an effort to re-
solve the dispute. The next
negotiating session is
scheduled for Sept. 27.
The teachers say they are
willing to meet any time,
any place to resolve the
strike, but attorney Steve
Cohen, representing Akiva,
was incensed that the
teachers would infer that
the school was stalling the
negotiations.
"Akiva makes agree-
ments at the table,"
Cohen told The Jewish
News. "When everybody
agrees at the table (on a
meeting date) and then
tells the papers some-
thing else it really makes
me mad."
Cohen said the Jewish
holidays have hampered
scheduled meetings, as
have commitments of the
teacher's negotiating team
and the school's negotiating
team.
Cohen said progress was
made at Monday night's
session, but he did not dis-
cuss the issues. Representa-
tives of the teachers said
that they made two offers
Monday night on the senior-
ity and job security issues,
but said Akiva rejected
their offers.
The teachers say they
proposed freezing at the
present work load any
teacher currently working
less than full time. They
also proposed that three
Hebrew teachers who are
working 140 percent (8
a.m.-5:10 p.m.) be cut to a
load of 117 percent.
The teachers say Akiva
has adamantly de-
manded the right to cut
any teacher's workload
by as much as 50 percent
this year and as much as
50 percent again in two
years.
Susan Marwil, president
of the Akiva teachers' un-
ion, and June Feiger, the
teachers' adviser from the
Michigan Federation of
Teachers, charged that
Akiva created the workload
problems and the "effect of
their proposals would be to
put people out on the street
without bread."
They said the teachers
have worked with the
school's problems in the
past, and the teachers un-
derstand the school's con-
cerns. "They should make
changes gradually, with
concern for the people who
are part of it. Instead they
want an instant solution to
a long-time problem they
created."
The teachers gave an
open letter to The Jewish
News in which they
charged, inter alia:
The school has not bar-
gained in good faith; that
it has canceled and de-
layed negotiating meet-
ings; that it is using un-
certified, unqualified
teachers in place of the
striking teachers; that
the striking teachers
have never "threatened
or violated" anyone cros-
sing the picket line, so
why is the school hiring
security guards?; that the
teachers' willingness to
work under "conditions
of harassment" the last
two years proves that
they are devoted to the
students and educational
principles of Akiva.
Cohen was asked specifi-
cally by The Jewish News
about the uncertified re-
placement charge. He veh-
emently denied that any of
the replacement teachers
were uncertified and he
challenged the striking
Tree Vandals
Are Penalized
Over three generations of service, value,
confidence & professionalism
LAWRENCE M. ALLAN
President
Established 1919
AWARDED CERTIFICATE BY GIA
IN GRADING & EVALUATION
GEMOLOGIST/DIAMONTOLOGIST
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Phone: 642-5575
Hours daily 'til 5:30 • Sat. Ill 4:30
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
The Jewish National Fund,
together with the Israeli
police, are turning tough
this year against an annual
pestilence: people who wan-
tonly savage trees in order
to obtain foliage (sekhakh)
for their sukkot.
The JNF has issued pub-
lic warnings referring to the
stiff penalties — 200,000
shekel fines and prison
terms — for tree-vandals.
JNF guards and policemen
have taken up watch at
"strategic" spots, especially
wooded areas near large
cities, with a view to pre-
venting or apprehending
would-be tree-spoilers.
(Halakhically, stolen
foliage is of course forbidden
and unstable for the mitzva
of sukka.)
At the same time, the
JNF has been cooperating
with local authorities to
provide law-abiding
sukka-builders with foliage
cut by qualified gardeners
and foresters in the course
of regular (and necessary)
pruning of trees.
teachers to publicly an-
nounce the names of two
former Akiva students the
teachers claim taught at the
school last week.
Cohen said progress was
being made in the negotiat-
ing sessions and added, "I've
said it a hundred times al-
ready: Both sides happen to
be right on the issues in this
contract. We just haven't
found the middle ground
yet."
State Mediator Leon
Cornfield attended Mon-
day's negotiating session.
Shlomo Sperka, acting di-
rector of the Michigan
Employment Relations
Commission, asked the two
sides to accept a mediator.
* * *
Hillel Teachers
Issue Statement
The teachers at Hillel
Day School issued a state-
ment this week in support of
the striking teachers at
Akiva. Hillel teachers pres-
ident Shula Fleischer said
the statement was unanim-
ously endorsed by the Hillel
teachers. It stated:
"We, the teachers of the
Hillel Day School, are
deeply concerned about the
situation at Akiva Hebrew
Day School. The breakdown
in negotiations between the
parties at Akiva should be a
concern of the entire Jewish
community.
"The future of Jewish
education is threatened!
"This is a time of year
when it is incumbent upon
Jews to examine ethical
values. It is unfortunate
that the Akiva adminis-
tration has resorted to ag-
gressive action rather than
continuing dialogue to re-
solve their problems.
"The teachers of Akiva
Hebrew Day School have
been thrown out of their
classrooms. Many of these
people have dedicated their
lives to the education of our
Jewish children. The com-
munity sleeps peacefully
while Jewish education is in
the midst of a nightmare.
"What lesson is being
taught when we discard
people rather than discuss
differences? Who will be the
teachers of tomorrow?
When teachers are treated
in an undignified and de-
meaning manner, where
will future teachers come
from? Which of our children
will go into Jewish educa-
tion?"
* * *
SZ, Teachers
Still Negotiate
,
Teachers at the religious
school of Cong. Shaare,
Zedek are continuing to
teach after the expiration of
their contract with the
school. The Jewish News
reported erroneously last
week that the school and the
teachers had settled.
The teachers' president,
Geri Levitt, said the two
sides were "negotiating
amiably."
Among America's leading
Jewish comedians is Don
Adams, star of the old TV
series "Get Smart."