THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 18, 1983 33 Beth Din Circumstances for Akiva Debated By ALAN HITSKY The chairman of the negotiating team for Akiva Hebrew Day School, attor- ney Steven Cohen, has 5% Au INVITATIONS [—Tim ANNIVERSARY / DEBORAH'S INVITATIONS Created Just For You Personalized Cocktail Napkins _ $9 per 100 DEBBIE GOLDFINE WEISSERMAN 537-1490 charged in a letter to The Jewish News that the school has twice tried to have the Akiva teachers' strike negotiations submitted to the arbitration of a Jewish Beth Din — rabbinical court. Cohen was responding to an item in The Jewish News "Purely Commentary" col- umn last week. Cohen's latter stated however, ". . the submis- sion of matters to a Beth Din was contingent upon the withdrawal of all pending civil litigation and the per- manent submission of all differences between the union and management to GET CARRIED AWAY IN GOURMET BALLOONS continues to DECORATE YOUR PARTY in the style you've been accustomed to. 661-9331 NEW GIFT LINE OF ATTACHABLES FOR OUR INFAMOUS BOUQUETS r I mi ma in me so um 1m In ammo am me am so si KARMA KREATIONS 1 JEWELRY , I A Hanukah Gift For You I Free Pair Of Monster Earring Backs With Any Purchase Of $30.00 Or More. I I I (Good With Coupon Only) LOCATED IN ESTHER & ESTELLE 6335 ORCHARD LK. RD. 855-4717 I ST. MARES ORCHARD LAKE • ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FAIR '83 FR.:E ADMISSION! • NOVEMER 19 • NOVEMBER 20 • • SANTA • AUCTION • ARTS & CRAFTS POLISH DINNERS BEER & WINE T.V. LOUNGE FOR FOOTBALL FANS DELI SNACKS VEGAS CASINO CASH PRIZES GAMES OF CHANCE FAIR HOURS Saturday 12 to 12, Sunday 12 to 8 Bring Your Family & Friends!!! *ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT SS. CYRIL & MET1400IUS SEMINARY — ST. MARY'S COLLEGE — ST. MARY'S PREPARATORY For Info Call 1 1 1 1 1 682-1885 the tribunal." Cohen claimed this is in accor- dance with Jewish law to eliminate potential con- flicts between secular and religious law. Attorney Mark Couzens, who represents the Michigan Federation of Teachers and the strik- ing Akiva teachers, said the Akiva negotiators tied the Beth Din prop- osal, and the teachers re- quests for binding arbit- ration and non-binding arbitration, to "propos- als so unacceptable that we could not agree." He labeled Cohen's letter as another ploy by the school. "It is one more at- tempt by the school to avoid resolution of the contract." Couzens said the striking teachers' charges of unfair labor practices and a charge of libel against the school would be withdrawn if there were "a complete resolution of the strike." He said the contract between the teachers and the school now calls for arbitration by 10 Jewish arbitrators. He said the Akiva negotiators have now re- jected both secular and re- ligious arbitration of the dispute by tying unaccepta- ble proposals to acceptance of arbitration. Cohen's letter also stated: "Frankly, with the recent withdrawal of strike status and the sub- sequent withdrawal of recognition from the teachers union by mem- bers of the teachers unit, the issue of submission to a Beth Din is now a moot point." Couzens commented that he received a letter from Akiva's attorneys stating that the replacement teachers had petitioned the school, requesting that the union not represent them. The letter states that be- cause of the petition, Akiva will no longer negotiate with the striking teachers. Couzens said the remedy for the situation will be court-ordered re-hiring of the striking teachers with full back pay. "I am worried that this will injure the school," Couzens said, "but Akiva has chosen the road that we travel." He said Akiva is making up excuses to justify its posi- tion. "They are showing the community and the chil- dren that crime does pay." Cohen charged The Jewish News with pre- judging the quality of education at Akiva given by the replacement teachers. He said re- placements would have been needed for 10 open positions at the start of the year even if there had not been a strike, adding, "You and the community owe them (the replace- ment teachers) the cour- tesy of not judging their abilities without evi- dence or investigation." Couzens labeled the pre- sent quality of education at Akiva as "patchwork at best. "If Akiva believes teachers are like Kleenex — when you are through with one piece, get another — then the quality is the same. But how can you replace teachers with years of ex- perience and expect the quality to be the same?" Couzens said the striking teachers have applied for unemployment compensa- tion. He expects the initial applications to be rejected, based on Akiva's compensa- tion exemption, but that the exemption will be over- turned on appeal. Susan Marwil, presi- dent of the striking teachers, was bitter about the latest de- velopments. "I feel like I've wasted 11 years of my life." She called Akiva "underhanded" and said the school has now done "just about everything they could to get rid of us. They've pulled down ev- erything the teachers have tried to do for the school over the years." Of the teachers who orig- inally struck the school, six have returned to work and 15 are still part of the "strikers." 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