Posted on May 17, 2016
Wage theft comes in many forms—shaving minutes off the time clock, depriving workers of break time, withholding insurance contributions but not paying the insurance companies, using sham corporations to elude payment, misclassifying employees as independent contractors, misclassifying employees as salaried workers to avoid paying overtime, and retaliating against employees who complain about such conditions. Many…
Posted on May 17, 2016
In 2015, events of tremendous scope indicated an immediate need for climate action and emissions reductions, recognized across many faiths and many nations. Through the National Religious Partnership for the Environment we have long joined with Protestant, Evangelical, and Catholic brothers and sisters in faith in our strong stand to care for creation. Pope Francis…
Posted on February 29, 2016
Older Americans who are living in poverty often suffer in silence, living in the shadows while trying to make ends meet. A single life change—a costly illness, loss of a job, or death of a spouse—can quickly threaten the financial stability of seniors. This has become especially true during the most recent recession. Older…
Posted on October 8, 2015
The rights of workers have long been a bedrock social justice concern and a priority of American Jews. With strong Jewish leadership, major achievements such as the minimum wage, the forty-hour work week, the abolition of child labor, and family and medical leave have enhanced the quality of life for millions over successive generations. …
Posted on October 8, 2015
Children, when born, do not choose their parents or their circumstances. No child, once born, should suffer through poverty and adversity. Every child should be viewed as equally precious and worthy. In the U.S., a child’s prospect for the future is more dependent on a parent’s income and education than in any other advanced…
Posted on October 8, 2015
Over the last four decades, this country has pursued a drug policy that has done little to curtail usage and has had significant negative impact on our society. Drug arrests comprise half the arrests in our criminal justice system, and approximately half of those are marijuana arrests—the vast majority of which are for simple…
Posted on February 8, 2014
In Genesis 1:27, we read that Adam, and by extension, all people, was created in “the image of God.” This teaches us that there is holiness in all people, regardless of their physical, sensory, emotional or intellectual abilities. Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. Each individual can contribute in some…
Posted on February 8, 2014
Human Trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, and/or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor and, under federal and state law, does not require movement of people across borders. It is believed there are currently 27 million slaves worldwide. The U.S. State…
Posted on February 28, 2013
The Jewish community has a deep and abiding concern for public safety, firmly rooted in Jewish tradition which compels us to uphold the sanctity of life. In recent years, we have witnessed a profoundly distressing series of mass shootings in schools, shopping malls, theaters, houses of worship, and elsewhere, including the atrocity committed…
Posted on February 28, 2012
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires employers to pay employees equal pay for equal work, regardless of the employee’s sex. So long as a job requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and is performed under similar working conditions, the employer must provide the same rate of pay to men and women who perform…