The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-07-14
BAIT OFFERED TO WORKERS


tions of This Kind Are Never Intro
duced Into Union Shops-What Wage |
Farmers Want is Sufficient Wages to
Provide For Their Own Future.
One of the new schemes that certain
employing interests are bringing out Is
to insure the lives of their employees
A newspaper clipping from a Milwau
kee (Wis.) newspaper reads as follows;
Following close upon other large man
ufacturers of the city, the L. w. Mayer
Boot and Shoe company announced re-
Gently that 1t had taken out group
policy of life insurance on nearly 400
of It's employees. The policies will be
absolutely free to employees Of his
company"
There are several things about this
proposition of group insurance, SO call
ed, to which we would like to call the
attention not only of our members and
other trade unionists, but of fair mind
ed employers as well, says the Shoe
Workers Journal.
First of all, we wish to draw atten-
ton to the fact, which may fairly be
regarded as significant, that PROPOSE
tions of this sort are never introduced
into union shops. Why? Because in
the union shop the workmen have the
machinery to obtain some sort OF fair
adjustment of the wage question and
are not to be subsidized by a sop TO be
thrown to them when they are dead.
This group insurance plan says to
the wage earners: If you have been
good boys and have worked for me at
my prices and conditions for Il year
or more | will insure your life free OF
cost to you while you continue in my
employ at the wages and conditions
which l shall fix for you without any
of your assistance or advice"
The moment a wage Garner leaves
that employment lie ceases to be in
sured. While he has worked there he
has worked at the employers price.
and vet the employer has nerve enough
to tell him that he, the employer is
giving the wage Garner life insurance
free of charge.
Does the employer really pay for
this insurance? Certainly not. His
intention is to offer the insurance as
bait by which to lure the employee
to work contelted!y for him at Il low
wage scale, so that when the employer
has paid the insurance premiums he
has made u net profit on the labor.
! Looked at from the shortsighted
angle, this may appear to be good
business to such employers, An en-
ployee may work, for instance, for
So to $6 week less money and in
ten years may have received $500 to
$1,000 less in the pay envelope, but
can comfort himself with the cheer
ful reflection that when he is dead
his family will cash in $500
As farsighted business PROPOSE
ton we submit that this group insur-
ance plan is not a good industrial pol
Icy We think it will appeal to the
average fair minded business man
that it is better policy to give the
wage Garner a fair standard of liv-
ing. Wage earners will be better sat
isfied with a more satisfactory pay
envelope here and now than with
life insurance policy which ut best
will only give their family a pittance
after they are dead and which the
employer can discontinue any time he
sees fit
Suppose, for instance, the #. Mayer
Boot and Shoe company or any other
concern carried on this group inSur-
ance for period of five years and at
the end Of that time dropped it, II
their employees have remained in
their employ because of the insurance
then there is five years. of their life
which they have spent qualifying for
an insurance policy which has been
taken away from them.
We are quite certain this group plan
of insurance Is not for the benefit OF
the wage earners We doubt, even, if
1t is for the benefit of employers. 1t
appears to be a good thing for the life
insurance company, but is a dubious
business for them to be engaged in.
This Is the first time within our knowl-
edge when q life insurance company of
any standing has attempted to inter
yene between capital and labor In a
way calculated to assist the employers
and induce the wage earners to fore
go their right of organization. Before
any life insurance company shall deny
that this group insurance plan is open
to criticism let it show instances
where employers running union estab
lishments and paying the union scale
Of wages have done business with the
life insurance companies upon the
group insurance plan.
Interest in employees. as evidenced
by this plan Of group insurance, looks
decidedly hypocritical. What wage
earners want is something in the pay
envelope, the right to comfortable
living and The means wherewith to pay
for It. They also want the right and
the means to provide for their own fu
ture 1t would be well if employers
would take the matter home to them
selves and see how they would like il
If their employees would undertake tC
provide and regulate the future con
duct, conveniences and final destina
ton OF the employer.