The evening of the beginning of the summer camps The Labor Union announced a labor dispute with the Neve Yosef community center in Haifa

The Workers' Union in Haifa has announced a labor dispute with the Neve Yosef Community Center, which operates the kindergarten afternoons and in the summer months the kindergarten camps in Haifa, which are scheduled to start tomorrow (Wednesday 1/7/21).

The Histadrut decided to take this step, since, according to them, negotiations have been going on between the workers and the management of the community center for over three years regarding the terms of employment. This, while the management is "pulling the workers" and not really working to find solutions.

The Histadrut claim that the management has been avoiding their demands for years, which was done in bad faith and while exerting improper pressure on them.

The announcement of the Histadrut on behalf of the employees of the Neve Yosef community center

The Histadrut Merhav Haifa announced a labor dispute at the Neve Yosef community center - it appears that the after-school activities at the community center will be shut down during the summer vacation

For about 3 and a half years, the management of the Neve Yosef community center in Haifa has been negotiating with the Histadrut of the Haifa region and the workers' committee of the Neve Yosef community center, on regulating the terms of employment and fixing the workers' rights in a collective agreement.

The employees of the Neve Yosef community center joined the Histadrut about 4 years ago and since then have been going through a series of organizational upheavals and changes due to the community center's desire to prevent the unionization of workers and refusal to sign a collective agreement.

Recently, following many demands from the Histadrut and after the return to full activity at the end of the Corona crisis, the Neve Yosef community center workers' committee raised a gear in their desire to regulate the conditions of their employment and determine their social rights in a collective agreement.

The management of the community center network, which does not take kindly to the desire of the workers to unionize, exerts undue pressure on the workers contrary to the agreement, and drags its feet in order to harm the workers' organization.

In view of the one-sided and dishonest behavior of the community center management and the parties reaching an impasse, the Histadrut of the Haifa region announced a labor dispute at the Neve Yosef community center. The start of taking organizational measures will begin on the first of July.

Shimon Yefarah, The director of the Neve Yosef community center said in response:

This is a dishonorable and irresponsible move that the Histadrut is taking on the eve of the start of the summer camps, at the same time as declaring sanctions against the entire local government regarding aid, throughout the country. The Neve Yosef community center has been working for two and a half years with the representatives of the Histadrut who are interested in including the after-hours aides in a collective agreement, and indeed we have held many serious meetings on the matter. The Neve Yosef community center pays a much higher salary than in other comparable places, and the representatives of the Histadrut know this, as well as conditions The work is good, professional and at a high level, which includes training, learning and supervision for the entire after-school staff, and in addition carries out activities for the welfare of the employees. The evidence for this is the responsiveness of thousands of families in integrating their children into the system for years.
The Histadrut refuses to guarantee quiet work without shutdowns for the period of time that the community center requests, and there is also a disagreement on the issue of years of seniority for the beginning of payment of a training fund.
This is a unilateral move that does not reflect respectable conduct between two parties and I hope that the supervisor of labor relations will bring the parties together for a final meeting. There is no doubt that in this act the Histadrut is undermining the normal labor relations that prevail here and I hope they will come to their senses as soon as possible. Of course, with this decision, the Histadrut hurts the parents of Haifa, who are faced with returning to the workforce after a year of Corona, and it is a shame that it is so.
Next week the matter will be raised before the labor relations commissioner at the Ministry of Labor and I am convinced that we will solve it together.

The Histadrut replied to the employees in response to the request of the management of the community center:

It is unfortunate that the management of the community center chooses not to present its true position and conduct to its employees.
You are all aware of the long, tedious and dishonest process of the community center management. The workers' committee and representatives of the Histadrut work day and night for the community center workers. Even after the management of the community center presented its position, which took 3 years - to the workers' representation, the representation asked to discuss the position and bridge the gaps. But as usual, the management of the community center took a few more months to hold a conversation. So apparently, the rights of the workers are not at the forefront of the management of the community center! Make no mistake! The management knows your importance and your professionalism, that's why they are trying to undermine you.

Would you like to receive a training fund in 13 years?! Would you like your terms of employment to not change and we will talk again in 15 years?!

Of course we will not forget that it will take another 5 years to reach a conclusion... because the management has time... and our terms of employment are less interesting. An employer who respects his employees does everything he can for them. He does not pressure his employees and sow fear... he embraces, appreciates and empowers! We once again call on the management of the community center to come to their senses and act on behalf of their employees and anchor their terms of employment in a collective agreement. The Workers' Council and Histadrut Haifa Region - with you, for you, by your side and for you, all the way!