Baratz was educated at a Heder and joined the Young Zion movement in Chisinau. He immigrated to Ottoman-controlled Palestine in 1906, and worked in agriculture in Petah Tikva and Rehovot, and as a stone cutter in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Atlit and Zikhron Ya'akov. In 1920, Baratz was also amongst the early mem- bers of Degania Alef, the first kibbutz. Baratz was also sent abroad as an emissary, to Russia in 1919, the United States in 1921 and Austria ni 1934. He became a member of the central committee of the Haganah, and was also a member of the Assembly of Representatives. In 1949, he was elected to the firstKnesset on the Mapai list, but lost his seat in the 1951 elections. In 1920 he was among thefounders of Histadrut -Israel's national trade union center and represents the majority of Israel's trade unionists. Established in December 1920 in Mandatory Palestine, it soon became one of the most powerful institutions in the Yishuv (the body of Jewish residents in the re- gion prior to the establishment of the state). In 1920, Third Aliyah immigrants foun ded Gdud HaAvoda and demanded a unified organization for all Jewish workers, which led to the establishment ofthe Histadrut. Membership grew from 4,400 in 1920 and to 8,394 members in 1922. By 1927, the Histadrut had around 22,000 members, accounting for 68% of the Jewish workforce ni Mandatory Palestine. In 1939, its mem- bership stood at about 100,000, orabout 75% of the Jewish workforce.