The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-18

ID IllS IedoOu WY MI. heIlI1eQY
comes to the rescue, not to support
the movement for which the work.
ers stand four square" but to do
everything possible to disrupt this
movement
Only Words-No Actions
If this were not true then we must
ask, why is it that neither the In
ternational Executive Board nor you
as a member of it, Mr.. Kennedy, have
carried on any activity towards mob
ilizing the miners in the campaign
for the adoption of unemployment
insurance? On the contrary, threats
are made against whole locals and
individual members who are active
in this nationwide movement to
gain compulsory unemployment in
Surance for American labor.
Every move of the members of the
A. F. of L., of which the United Mine
Workers are part to organize sup
port for this movement is met with
expulsions and even physical attacks.
Do you expect any worker to believe
your words when your actions point
in just the opposite direction?
Kind Of Insurance
Now, let us see the kind of unem-
ployment insurance and social pro-
lection the secretary of
one of the largest unions in the A.
F. of L. proposes for the workers? In
the first place, he discards from the
outset any form of social insurance
in case of sickness, old age, mater
nifty, etc. He even adds the cate
gories to his exemption list "those
unwilling to work or &, those on
strike" In other words, If a worker
is offered a starvation wage and re-
fuses to accept it, he is unwilling to
work" and not eligible for unenlploy-
ment insurance. Those on strike are
not to get support, but their exist
ence is dependent on the care given
by their own labor organizations.
Contrast this proposal with the
Workers Unemployment Insurance
Bill, which states that "No worker
shall be deprived of unemployment
insurance because of refusal to take
the place of strikers or to work for
less than union rates of pay"
How Much?
Now, how much benefit is to be
given and for how long a period?
Mr.. Kennedy answers, 1.-THE amount
of benefits to be paid and the num-
Der of weeks during which they shall
be paid must depend upon the local
conditions in each state and upon
the amount Of contributions paid
into the fund" This labor misleader
proposes to pay on the basis of local
conditions" and for period depen-
dent on how much the state can
provide. Just as the MIRA, he wants
a much lower standard for the
worker.
What a vast difference between
this proposal and the concise meas
ure proposed in the Workers Bill
that unemployment insurance shall
guarantee the average wages in the
respective industries and territories
in the United States" But in no
case shall it "be less than $40 weekly
for adult workers and So for each de-
pendent" And it further emphasizes
that this be paid "for the entire
period of unemployment"
One would expect that the least q
labor leader would ask for Is rep
resentation of trade unions and other
workers organizations to administer
the fund DIT xrrOt,1I txa oelrttar
too much from an A. F. Of L. bureau-
GRAFT. Mr.. Kennedy wants "the adj
ministration of the scheme of unem-
ployment compensation and the res
Sponsbility for the keeping and in
vestment of the unemployment funds
to be in the hands of a state
commission, either special commits
sion created for the specific purpose
or an already existing state commits
sion or department of labor" Let
the department of (antD labor which
breaks strikes and deports militant
workers be in charge of distributing
funds to the unemployed. OF course
he wants an advisory board" for la
Dor.
But the Workers Bill demands
"That the unemployment Insurance
fund shall be administered and con-
trolled by the workers through unem-
pioyment insurance commissions COM
posed of rank and file members Of
workers organizations"
The actions of Kennedy Lewis,
Green and their whole crew point to
a long record of opposition to un-
employment insurance as well as
every measure which will help the
employed and unemployed workers.
The recent betrayal of the 10000
miners in Western Pennsylvania by
the gang of which Kennedy is an OUT
standing figure is sufficient proof that
the whole talk for unemployment in
surance is aimed to obstruct this
growing movement among the Amer
lean workers.
Unemployment insurance can and
will be won. But not by the speeches
Of labor leaders" before audiences in
universities.
For this purpose it is necessary to
develop nationwide campaign to
get endorsements by trade unions,
workers and veterans organizations,
demonstrations, hunger marches,
petitions before local governments de-
manding their endorsement of the
Workers Unemployment Insurance
Bill.
In the mine fields wide campaign
should be developed to expose the
whole character of Kennedys pro-
posals and the record of the UNIV.
of A. on this issue. BY these means
we will gain mass support among the
miners for the adnntinr of the Work