The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-06-20
FRATERNAL help.
What Organized Labor Is Doing
to Relieve Distress.
AID FOR THE SICK AND OLD.
Trade Unions Have Discussed an
Enormous Sum of Money For Death
and Disability Benefits to Members.
In 1912 $15,0oo,o00 Was Paid Out.

Enormous Sum of Money For Death
and Disability Benefits to Members
In 1912 $15,oooooo Was Paid Out.
The divine injunction that thou shalt
not let thy right hand know what thy
left hand does is without doubt more
nearly carried out in the American
trade union movement than in any
other organization on the continent in
regard to caring for the sick, burying
the dead or relieving the distress of
members.
Not only does the public know little
of this great work by the unions, but
the union members themselves cannot
know of it fully. for up to the present
no careful record on the subject has
been kept by any of our American or
CARNATIONS. Especially is this true of
the amounts paid in sick benefits.
With the exception of about two organ
izations none of the general organiza-
tons keep accounts of the sick benefits
paid by local unions, to which, in all
but two or three organizations, is left
the entire charge and burden of this
feature of union benefcence.
In January. 1910, in setting out to
gather information on this subject,
sent circular letters to all the interna-
tional and national unions in America
asking for the amounts paid by each
in death. disability. old age and sick
benefits. Out of 40 organizations |
received statements from but forty
general organizations and two dis
tricts of the United Mine Workers 1t
was my intention at that time to pub
fish the information thus received; but,
owing to the great pressure of work in
my own organization, | was unable tC
summarize the facts at that time, and
I have been delayed until the present,
but l yet feel that they are of such i'm
portance that they should be made
public, to give to the world some little
idea of what the trade unions are do
ing in the way of fraternal help. The
unions are not devoting all their time
to the question of hours and wages;
they are also doing great and noble
work in relieving the distress of their
membership in case Of death, disabil-
ity, old age or sickness.
The reports received show that the
first payment of death and disability
benefits was in 1867 to the locomotive
engineers. In 1872 the Brotherhood of
Railway Conductors of America be-
gan paying the same benefits. In 1875
I,n 10 Tn
adopted sick. death and disability ben
efits. In 1888 three organizations es
tablished benefits of this kind, and
various others have since followed the
example. The records show that out
of the forty organizations reporting
twenty-three have introduced death
and disability benefits since 1900. The
miners organization, as such, pays no
death and disability benefits, this duty
being left to the districts, the two
from which l have reports being Hi
nois and Iowa, which commenced the
payment in 1909
Sick benefits have been paid by vari-
Gus local trade unions for many years.
but, as have said. with the exception
of two or three the international unions
keep no record of the amount paid.
which. therefore, can only be estimat-
ed. The reports given below show
that during 1910 these forty organiza-
tons, with the two districts of miners.
paid in death and disability benefits
SO. 707. 9SS7S. Reports received from
various local unions throughout the
country show that they pay in sick
benefits from SO to $40 a week. 1t is
q safe estimate that at least 100000
sick benefits through their unions. If
the average amount paid by the mold
ers. $500 a week. be accepted as
general average. in the year 1910 the
local unions paid in sick benefits at
least S5,000,O00, giving grand total
in the year Of more than $12000,000
in sick. death and disability benefits
paid by the trade unions of America.
Since 1910 number of the organi-
cations reporting have increased their
benefits. For instance, the Amalga-
mated Association of Street and Elec-
trio Railway Employees of America,
which in 1910 paid death and dis
ability benefit of 500, has notably in
creased the rate. now paying from 500
to $500. In 1910. including the sums
thus expended by the locals, this or
ganization paid total of $4,000. In
1912 its payments from the interna-
tional treasury alone. not considering
the amount paid by the locals, were
on this account $124.000. Thus, fol
1912. estimating carefully, it can safe
ly be concluded that the trade unions
of the country paid out in sick, death
and disability benefits at least $15,0O0,-
600.
A compilation shows that from the
beginning in 1867 up to 1910 the forty
unions reporting had paid out In death
and disability benefits alone $91,SS7.-
906.25. 1t is impossible to estimate the
amount paid in regular sick benefits,