The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-25
BY GRACE M. BURNHAM,
Labor Research Association.
(Continued)
Trade Union Benefits.

Trade Union Benefits.
TT is quite evident that the efficiency pro-
duction schemes of the A. F. of L. offer
no solution for the union member who loses
his job. As a method of keeping their men,
bership, certain unions have attempted to
meet the problem by providing unemployment
benefits or by agreements with the employ
ers, guaranteeing work or unemployment in
surance for a specified maximum of weeks
each year. Altogether we may say that pes
sibly $4,000 of the four million organized
workers in the United States are receiving
some form of unemployment benefit, either
through their own contributions entirely, or
through joint funds to which both workers
and employers have contributed.
The method of attempting to solve the I'M
employment problem individually, union by
union, unsound and misleading to the men,
bership. The source of unemployment lies not
in particular industry but in the capitalist
system as whole. The forces of the trade
unions at the present stage of their develop
ment in the United States are far too scat
tered and weak to gain insurance features
which will even approximate wages for the
full period of unemployment. Workers must
be made to realize that the entire RESPONSE
bility for failure to provide work, for arbi-
trary lay-offs, for the setting of age limits,
for the introduction of new schemes to tighten
up production with their attendant squeezing
out of workers must be placed squarely on
the corporations. Work or its equivalent in
wages should be the demand of every worker
in every union The payment of unemploy-
ment benefits by the union, agreements which
undertake to make the union party to the
solution of the employment problems of the
industry weaken the union fight and help the
employers to fasten more firmly on the backs
of the workers the system which makes I'M
employment inevitable.
Fake Union Insurance Schemes.
An analysis of the unemployment insurance
schemes and agreements in operation in var
ious unions in the United States proves only
too clearly the truth of these statements.
Trade union out-of-work benefits, under which
the union assumes the entire financial obliga-
ton are in operation in three A. F. of L. or
ganizations: the Diamond Workers Union of
New York, New York Typographical No. 6,
and the International Sderographers. Bene-
fits are negligible $12 week. for maximum
of 10 weeks for the diamond workers, SIS
week for 26 weeks for the siderographers and
$14 week for the printers. A total of 1888
printers drew benefit in 1926. Less than 500
workers are covered in the other two unions.
Joint agreements guaranteeing specified
number of weeks employment with the alter
native of limited amount of unemployment
insurance have been adopted by the United
Wall Paper Crafts, the Cloth Cap. and Mil
linery Workers, the Amalgamated Lace Oper-
atives, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers,
and the International Ladies' Garment Work
ers. Except in the Cleveland market the
schemes undertaken by the International La
dies Garment Workers Union have been sus-
pended.
The agreement with the employers in the
wall paper industry covers 5S2 members and
guarantees so weeks employment, As weeks at
full pay and the remaining 5 weeks at half
pay. The agreement of the Cloth Cap and
Millinery Workers cover 5000 workers and
guarantees 48 weeks work a year or unem-
ployment benefit. 1t is confined to cap max
ers. For New York City the benefit amounts
to maximum of $40 week for men and
81 for women, not to exceed seven weeks a
year. Wages in the New York industry aver
age $40 week for men and $28 for women.
The employers are the sole contributors to the
fund, paying per cent of the payroll. The
fund is administered entirely by the union.
The Amalgamated Lace Operatives also
have joint agreement with several firms,
under which about 800 workers are covered.
Employers contribute so cents week for each
worker and employees an equal amount.
International Ladies' Garment Workers Union
Schemes.
Members of the International Ladies' Gar
ment Workers of Cleveland were forced by
union officials to accept Is per cent wage
cut when their unemployment insurance
scheme was initiated. The scheme was started
in May, 1921 and guaranteed 40 weeks en-
ployment or two-thirds of the minimum wage
earned for the number of weaks in which
ployment fell short of 40 weeks. The guar
antee was extended to al weeks in 1922, but
in 1924 the benefit was cut to one-half the
minimum wage. The fund was made up en-
tirely of contributions from the employers,
but these funds were actually taken from the
workers in the form of wage cuts. In 1922
employers who guaranteed Al weeks employ
ment were allowed to make an additional wage
cut of 10 per cent.
The net result of the Cleveland scheme was
decided loss to the workers. The first eleven
weeks of unemployment-the difference be-
tween full years work and the Al weeks
guaranteed by the agreement--were borne en-
tirely by the workers. By 1924 workers had
accepted wage cuts of rs per cent in order
to get back a possible so per cent of their
wages for limited number of weeks of I'M
employment. Moreover Standards of produc-
tom (speed-up) we're agreed to which resulted