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i,
ANIERIO*1
CANCER
SOCIETY'
nited Hebrew School
transportation work-
ers voted 26-16 to
unionize, despite
management's doubts that
the Jan. 7 decision will
prompt much change.
"I don't think it's in (the
workers') best interest,"
said Matthew Kamins,
director of the UHS
Transportation Depart-
ment. "All the pay and
benefits they could get
through a union are
already provided, but if
the majority wants it,
(management) will go with
it. I wouldn't expect any
major changes."
Local 247 of the
International Brotherhood
of Teamsters — AFL-CIO
met this week with some
of the 53 UHS transporta-
tion workers who joined
the union.
David Schuler, vice
president and business
representative of Local
247, said the group met to
formulate a bargaining
committee and to discuss
what they consider "prob-
lem areas" in the depart-
ment's management.
Bargaining will begin
after the National Labor
Relations Board certifies
Local 247 to represent
UHS transportation work-
ers. Mr. Schuler said
Teamsters are drafting
proposals for a contract.
Teamsters approached
the UHS about eight
months ago when an
employee said UHS trans-
portation workers needed
outside organizing help.
Though employees do not
complain about the
amount of wages and ben-
efits, they contend that
management does not
keep its promises, prac-
tices favoritism, and
capriciously fires employ-
ees.
Several bus drivers
were unwilling to go on
the record with their com-
plaints because they
feared their jobs would be
terminated.
Mr. Kamins denied the
charges. The UHS Trans-
portation Department, he
said, has criteria to deter-
mine benefits and pay. He
said favoritism is no
longer a problem. Mr.
Kamins also pointed to
complaints employees had
taken to the NLRB. They
were dismissed, he said.
The UHS Transport-
ation Department, an
independent agency of the
Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, runs
about 100 buses serving
20 nonprofit Jewish and
gentile organizations.
Services include trans-
porting children to school
and on field trips.
The department oper-
ates on a $1.5 million
annual budget. According
to Larry Ziffer, the
Federation's director of
planning and agency rela-
tions, the department
saves other Federation
agencies about $1 million
in annual transportation
expenses — costs they
would incur if they used a
different system.
Mr. Ziffer forecasts lit-
tle change to UHS trans-
portation services.
"If it ends up costing us
Teamsters are
drafting proposals
for a contract.
more, costs will have to be
passed on (to clients). We
hope that won't happen,"
he said.
Mr. Ziffer said he
doesn't expect fees to sud-
denly skyrocket due to
union demands.
"The burden is on us —
that we, as administra-
tors, work effectively with
the union."
Mort Plotnick, executive
director of the Jewish ,
Community Center, does
not expect unionization to
negatively impact JCCen-
ter activities, which
employ the transportation
department's services.
"I am sure that we will
continue to receive the
excellent services we've
received in the past," Mr.
Plotnick said. ❑
In line with a major
devaluation in 1980, Israel E\
changed its currency from
the "lira" (Israel pound, —`
which was based on the
British pound) to "shekel."