April 5, 2000
ORTHODOX
UNION APPLAUDS NEW YORK STATE -
SEARS CONSENT DECREE RE: SABBATH ACCOMMODATION
Today, the Union
of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America - the nation's largest
Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization--through its Institute
for Public Affairs, applauded the announcement of a consent agreement
entered into between the State of New York and the Sears Corporation with
regard to accommodating the religious needs of Sears' Sabbath observant
employees.
The consent agreement, announced at a press conference this morning by New
York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, arises from complaints by
Jewish and Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath observers who previously worked
as Sears repair technicians, but lost their jobs over their inability to
work on Saturdays. An investigation by Mr. Spitzer's office,
followed by intensive negotiations with Sears, led to the announced
agreement under which Sears will accommodate the religious needs of
Sabbath observant employees.
Under the agreement, Sears will give 5 Sabbath observant employees back
pay, train all of its New York recruitment personnel with regard to
religious accommodation and fund a $225,000 American Law Institute
training program for all American companies on the subject of religious
accommodation. Most significantly, Sears will create a work schedule for
repair technicians that will ensure Sabbath-friendly hours for those who
require them.
Richard Stone, Chairman of the Union's Institute, stated that "the
Orthodox Jewish community is very grateful for the intensive efforts of
Attorney General Spitzer in this case. His appreciation for
the importance of ensuring that religious employees have their religious
needs accommodated on the job is very significant."
Institute Director Nathan Diament stated that "we hope this consent
agreement, and the facts revealed by the investigation that led up to it,
draw attention to the problem of the lack of religious accommodation in
American workplaces. We hope it will be a catalyst for Congress to
pass the Workplace
Religious Freedom Act - a bipartisan measure designed to address this
very issue and ensure that no religious American is faced with choosing
between career and conscience."
###
www.ou.org
Comments?
Requests? Questions?
 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
of America
Department of Public Relations
Sharyn Perlman, Director
Main Office:
11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058
E-mail: media@ou.org |
OUPR
Archives
Recent
statements to the press
Articles and statements from 1999
Articles and statements from 1998
|
|