Dear Jewish Leader,

In this time of corporate scandal and economic anxiety, we believe that it is imperative that leaders of conscience in the business community and beyond offer a shining example of ethical and just business practices.  The purpose of this letter is to clarify the view of the Jewish tradition in relation to appropriate conditions for workers.  And just as we, a group of Jewish religious leaders, are discussing these issues in our community, so too are our Christian clergy colleagues reaching out to Christian business leaders.  Most people want to do what is right and good, but at times it is difficult to determine what this means.  We believe that discussion of these issues is enhanced by the richness of our sacred legal tradition.

Jewish tradition from its earliest stages has been concerned with the relationship between employees and employers.   Just as employers have certain obligations and responsibilities toward workers in their employ, so too do employees have obligations and responsibilities towards those for whom they work.  Workers, for example, are required to be honest and responsible in their employment, and must avoid taking on additional employment if this would prevent them from doing their jobs well.

On the other hand, the Torah says "You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger… You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets… else he will cry to God against you and you will incur guilt." (Deuteronomy 24:14-25).  Leviticus 19 states the following in a list of laws that starts by demanding "You shall be holy for I God am Holy."  "The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning."  Clearly, the Torah is adamant that employers must treat workers justly.

This was not only seen as an ideal, but actually as the legal requirement for employers.  Mishna, Talmud and later rabbinic authorities deepened and expanded these legal and ethical obligations, adding, among others, the requirement of paying a worker a living wage. Talmudic authorities also empowered town councils to set wages, and obligated the community to see that workers make enough to support themselves.

In contemporary times, Rabbinic authorities have used these discussions to ground the right to organize for better wages and benefits. When Unions represent the collective will of workers, they are recognized by halakhic authorities as such, and just as the "town council" was in Talmudic times, the union is empowered to set policy for workers, to prevent strikebreakers from taking jobs from union workers and to make demands on employers. (Responsa Iggerot Moshe, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein)  It is also forbidden to do business with a company or contractor whose practices are not within the guidelines of the Halakhah. One who does business with such companies or contractors is considered as "one who supports transgressors."  

In our own times, the prophetic mandate for justice, rooted in the voice of the Prophetic tradition including the prophets Amos "Let justice flow like a stream" (5: 24), and Micah "God requires us to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly" (6:8) has inspired movements toward social justice and activism.  Our modern sage Abraham Joshua Heschel marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the struggle for both civil rights and economic justice.  In the words of Rabbi Heschel "We are God's stake in human history."   

Clearly, Jewish Law set out standards of behavior to guide the relationship between employers and employees.  By listening to what Judaism says about these matters and by adhering to these standards, we believe that members of the business community can do well by doing right.  The Jewish prophetic tradition calls us to pursue justice for low-wage workers and their families.  In order to make Judaism live in our business relations as well as in our personal lives, we are asking business owners to sign-on to a statement of principles that reflects the values and teachings of Jewish tradition.  

Please join us. 

Statement of Principles 

We, as religious and business leaders, believe that we should strive for a state in which all low-wage workers, whether they are direct employees or contracted out, should be: 

• Paid a living wage that allows them to meet the basic needs of their families.
• Provided with full health care benefits for them and their families.
• Employed by companies that abide by all applicable laws - including the right to organize.
• Treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.