The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-11-11
= Trade Union Health Insurance
Strong Editorial by Samuel Gonpers, President of the
American Federation of Labor, in the American
Federationist for November.

is not yet ended, but the labor movement
has reached that stage of its develop
ment when it must consider plans for
greater constructive activity
To each national or international Or
ganization properly belongs the function
OF providing sick and death benefits and
old-age insurance for the members of
their trade or calling. Some organize
tions have already accomplished splendid
results along these lines, but every or
ganization ought to now consider seri-
ouslv making proper provisions for its
members | he tendency of present day
thought is away from institutions and is
i'll favor of giving whatever assistance
may be necessary to individuals in their
homes The institution breaks up the
home, and among wage-earners as
among all other people the home is
the fundamental unity of society. De-
stroy the home, take the individual away
from the home, and you destroy the
most sacred, the most powerful inilu-
ences that come into the hearts and
minds of the young and the lives of men
and women. The proper way, then, is
to provide old-age pensions, sick and
death benefits for members of unions
l he old-age pension must be taken care
of by the general organization. Sick and
death benefits may be administered by
the local unions independently or may
be in conformity with general plans
Both methods have advantages. Inc
important matter is that each local union
have some kind of benefit to assist its
members in times of misfortune
Every organization that assumes re-
sponsibllity for sick and death benefits
at once opens up even larger problem
heSe benefits can be made less onerous
financially by institutlng preventive
measures, the constructive side, or the
prevention of disease. The chief agency
Tor disease prevention is the dissemina-
ton of information. All too many of
our people are ignorant of the funda-
mental facts of hygiene and disease pre-
vention. There are in every trade special
dangers to life; some of these are in
herently a part of the process of pro-
duction, and others can be readily ellmi-
mated by little planning and fore
thought or the Use of improved devices
by employers.
If the workers themselves have suffi-
cient information to make demands upon
their employers, they can do much to
create conditions that are conducive to
good health. If they are sufficiently alert
to their own interests to make demands
upon public health authorities that these
authorities supply them with necessary
information as to industrial and physical
hygiene, there will be readily available
considerable amount of literature on
the subject that will go long way to-
ward eliminating the present general
| ignorance.
There is another matter that ought to
be seriously considered by local unions
| Benevolent employers and many associa
tons interested in general health and
hygiene have urged that the various
companies employ health experts or COM
pany doctors. These men become the
agents of the company, and while they
are i'll a position to perform necessary
and benignant work for workers, yet
their function can be readily manlpu-
lated and made delcterious to the best
interests of the Wage-earnerS. 1t is not
necessary to tell wage-earnerS the rela-
tionship that may exist between compul-
sorry physical examination and diScrim-
/ inatlon in the matter OF employment or
furnishing reasons Tor dismissal But
| llc matter OF pnySlCdl examination Oh
employees is of fundamental Importance
in informino these employees of incipient
disease or physical weakness that may
later develop into something serious,
Physical examinations occurring at reg
ular periods in addition to disclosing
physical weakness, will develop valuable
information throwing light upon indus
trial efficiency and its necessary relation
ship with good health and sound body,
and upon occupational diseases.
The workers should have some kind
Of medical advice and supervision from
health experts. In order to make this
institution purely beneficial, the workers,
through their trade unions, may employ
such expert advice Several plans are
worth consideration. Large local unions
could employ their own physician and
pay him q fixed sum as retaining fee,
with additional fees in case of sickness
Of members. These additional fees might
be paid by the union or by the indivi-
duals as experience would indicate the
wiser method. In smaller localities one
physician might be sufficient to serve a
local central body. Arrangements might
be made with some institution which has
the services of the best equipped experts
Of the country, and because of the great
numbers it serves, its benefits secured by
individuals at small expense In some
trades in which the dangers to the health