The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-19
PART III (CONCLUsIoN)

q "when the accumulated reserve per EN-
ployee shall exceed $50. the employers contr-
button shall be reduced to / per cent Of his
payroll, and when his reserve has reached SIS,
he shall make no further contribution to the
fund until his reserve falls below s75 per em-
pIoyee" This is another avenue Of escape pro-
vided for the employers in order to keep up the
sham of unemployment insurance The report
further states: THE purpose OF this provision is
to offer employers effective incentives for the
exercise of control Of fluctuations in employ
rnent" In other words it is to be used as a
black Jack over the heads Of the workers who
still have jobs, to keep them from putting up
demands for increased wages, improved condi-
tions, etc, in short, it is a strike-breakng Inn
plen1ent
Certain firms or groups Of firms are to be
exempted from establishing such unemployment
insurance funds which have set up rserve funds
providing benefits equal to- or greater than, those
enumerated in the foregoing proposals"
This, of course, would apply to such firms as
the General Electric Company, whose president,
Mr.. Swope, introduced a plan, whereby the
workers in the shop are reduced to an average
Of SIS week with so-calied guarantee OF IS
weeks Of the year" In the General Electric in
Schenectady, there were $4,000 Thousand work
ers, Of whom I oday 1000 are employed and
$4,000 working part-tirne,
The 1900 remain totally unprotected by In
gurance according to the Swope Plan, but the
1900 are compelled to do any kind Of work
given them. These workers many LOT them
skilled workers, are obliged to do work ranging
from sweeping the yards to carrying boxes, in
order TO earn the $3.50 a year, which equals
s52.so month, spread over the year. According
pays per cent into the fund and the men them
selves per cent, which means further reduc-
5on per year Of $3.50 directly and $3.50 indi-
rectiy taken of by the concern as It's 'contribu-
ton" to the unemployment insurance fund
At this point it must be added that the Gem
esal Electric workers, ike the o. S. Steel, Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph Goodrich, Good
year, F1restone, etc. and many other concerns
fn years past induced their workers to buy bonds
Of the company, houses, autos, radios, ETC. and
eaddled the workers with tremendous mort
cages as a means Of making them Ioyal" to the
concern. These workers were terrorized at the
prospects of losing their property and became
S1oyal" "obedient," willing slaves of the COM
pany. Today, they have lost all this property
and therefore are in rebellion and now Messre.
Swope, Roosevelt, ETC. scheme that they shall
be tied down to a measly 500 a year maximum
ers In the shops who have the CUTS to fight
against the shameful conditions in the shop.
This is the exercise OF control over fluctuation
In employment" that the bill proposes.
y 'Ihe State shall act as the custodian,
investor and disbursing agent OF the reserve
funds" The bill proposes the establishment Of
an unemployment commission of members,
representing labor, industry and the public"
which means that the scales are weighted from
the beginning against the workers
Excluded from the s0-called unemployment in
surance all agricultural workers, and all
workers in shops employing less than workers.
This means to turn over to the pangs of hunger
a large number Of agricultural workers and those
working III small shops in these states.
mo provision whatever is made in case con-
Germ goes out of business voluntarily or through
bankruptcy The workers so affected will be
deprived Of all protection from unemployment
insurance and in view Of the increasing number
Of bankruptcies, it is obvious that large num-
Der Of workers will face starvation.
The bill declares that 1T is not sound to i'm
pose an onerous burden Of cost on American in
dustry" and that thte measures can only "inci-
dentally serve to mitigate the effects Of severe
and prolonged industrial depression" cat the
best" the report states "there will be for some
time remain a residuum of unemployed who must
continue to look for assistance TO the agencies
of private and public charity" In the whole
report no attempt is made bascally to take up
the question Of unemployment and unemploy-
ment insurance, since the advocates Of this bill
recognize that public and private relief agencies
will be called upon to take care of large Sec
ton Of the unemployed. In other words. the bill
which provides a maximum Of $3.50 a month
for workers now employed who may lose their
tobs, which excludes the agricultural workers and