The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-04
Wisconsin Bill
Bars JObIess
From Benefits
Benefits Lower Than
Present Relief
Standards

NEW YORK-The Wisconsin IN
employment Compensation Act, the
only law in the United States which
pretends to establish unemployment
insurance benefits, and which, by
its limitations, grants only $50 to
500 a year maximum to certain
ciassidcations of workers now en-
ployed, became effective July 1, for
the building up Of reserves for pay
ment after July, 1885.
The Wisconsin law bars the
present jobless from obtaining
benefits, legalizeS forced labor, re-
duces benefit payments below pres
ent relief, and includes a mis-
conduct" clause which states: ian
employe is wholly barred from bene-
fits if he has lost his employment
through misconduct, if he quits
without good cause attributable to
his employer"
The act was passed at a special
session of the state legislature in
1881, and provided that the law
would not become effective until
175,000 workers were employed in
the state. In June, 1888, the law
was amended to reduce the cover
age to 10000 workers.
Payment of premiums starts Aug.
l, and will be based on payrolls for
July Vast numbers of workers are
automatically barred from receiving
benefits. Only employers with ten
or more employees engaged for 10
weeks work year or more need
pay into the reserves. These pay
ments will take the form of a two
per cent tax on pay rolls, and since
there is no provision to the con-
trary, will be deducted from the
wages.
The rate shall remain at two per
cent until $55 reserves are built up,
and shall then drop to one per cent
until SIS reserves are reached, after
which all payments into the re-
serves shall cease.
Disqualification Clauses
Clause after clause in the act dis
qualities broad sections of the work
ing population. First, the residence
requirement-"An employee shall not
be eligible to receive benefits under
this plan on account Of any period
Of unemployment, unless he has
been resident of Wisconsin for the
two years preceding the beginning
OF such period of unemployment, or
has been gainfully employed in this
state for forty weeks within that
two year preiod,"
The act provides nothing for the
aged and sick, stating on this point,
that to be eligible for benefits, a
workers must be physically able
and available for work"
Benefits are limited to one weeks
payment for each four weeks of
work, and in no case to be more
than ten weeks in year at benefits
ranging from five to ten dollars at
most. Public school teachers and
Ill others employed on an annual
alary basis are excluded.
To get benefits, the unemployed
aust register at state employment
f1ices, and if any work offered is
efused, the unemployed worker is
dramatically disqualified from fur
her benefit payments.
Is Anti-Strike In Effect
The Wisconsin law is an anti
trike, forced labor proposition,
gnoring totally the present unem-
Logged. Only the Workers Unem-
loyment Insurance Bill, known as
I. r. 1898 in the last session of Con-
ress, provides adequate unemploy-
lent insurance to all categories of
'orkers without any discrimination,
md provides insurance payments to
ne present ever-growing army of
he unemployed.