The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-10-11
ORGANIZED LABOR
DECLARES WORKMEN'S
HEALTH INSURANCE
WAR TIME MEASURE
Recent Conventions Emphasize Need
of Sickness Protection for
the Industrial Army

Health insurance legislation for all
wage earners and their families, in
Guiding maternity benefits, was en-
dorsed by the New York State
Federation of Labor at it's recent
annual convention, with only sin
gle dissenting vote, and its health
insurance bill was placed at the head
of labOr's war time measures to be
actively pressed for passage at the
next session Of the Legislature.
This advanced action follows near
ly two years study of workmen's
health insurance by the Federation's
committee on health of which Com
missioner James NJ. Lynch of the
| State Industrial Commission is chair
man, and the preparation Of bill
| by the committee framed to meet the
needs of the workers. Two state
wide conferences and a practical ref
ercndum of all affiliated unions dur
ing the past year, together with the
distribution of a series of Illuminating
printed reports showing the need
Of health insurance and explaining
lis benefits, brought the subject
sQuarcly before organized labor in
this state and prepared the way
for the conventions overwhelming
approval of the bill.
Endorsed in Wisconsin
In line with the position of or
ganZed labor nj New York is the
endorsement Of health insurance leg
islation by the Wisconsin State Fed
Grafton at its recent convention.
"NoW is the time for us to recognize
that workmen's health insurance is
surely coming and to record cur
emphatic demand for liberal and
just standards of medical and fl
nancial benefit and for democratic
management in which the workers
have equal voice and vote with their
employers" declared the report of
the special committee on health in
su"ance which was adopted at the
Wisconsin convention. And the re-
port pointed out:
"The question of health among the
workers of our state has been
brought strikingly to the fore by
the reports Of the draft boards.
which showed that 265 per cent of
those called in the first draft were
physically unfit, and of the men at
first accepted and arriving at Camp
Custer $40 per cent were later re-
Jected upon a second examination.
No less than go per cent of this sub
standard condition, states DR.. Eu-
gene l.. Fiske, the noted hygienist
IS preventable. Such conditions of
careless Indifference to health form
a menace to the welfare of the wage
earners which is made more acute
than ever by the stress and strain
of war"
Recent Approval by Labor
Other labor organizations have of
ficially endorsed universal health in
surance during recent months, in
addition to the score and more of
prominent American labor bodies
that had previously gone on record
in favor of its adoption as "the
next step following workmen's com
pensation." Among these are the
National Brotherhood of Operative
Potters, the International Union of
Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers.
the American Wire Viewers Pro
tective Association, the National
Federation of Federal Employees.
and the Colorado State Federation
of Labor.
The West Virginia Federation of
Labor at its last convention, "recog-
nizing the aid given by our state
workmen's compensation law in the
reduction of accidents, favor the
speedy passage of a law for work
mems health insurance which will
furnish adequate medical and finan-
cial care during wage-earners' sick
ness, which will exclude profit-mak-
ing private corporations, and which
VIII stimulate measures for the
prevention of occupational and other
: sickness" The resolution as adopt