The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-29
A.F.ofL. Leagues Blu
For Insurance Carries
An Anti-Shike Clause
Ohio Unions Measure, Indicating Upsurge of
Masses, Is Greatly Inferior to Workers Insurance
Bill, Which 1t Resembles in Some Respects

roll, the rest Of the funds to be Sc
cured from the Federal government
and from the State by levyiug an
additional tax on all incomes over
$1,000 per year. A tax on all gifts
was proposed, following the Work
ers' Bill, and workers are to contri-
butte nothing according to the latest
revision Of the bill.
Another analogy with H R. 1898
is point four, which sets the mini
mum benefit at not less than $40
per week plus So for each dependent.
This clause, however, is limited by
the provision that maximum bene~
fits are not to exceed Is per cent
of the normal wages of the workers.
This clause discriminates against
those with large families, who are
forced to work for starvation wages
and thereby tend to beat down the
level of general wages In line
with this clause a man with five
children working for the starvation
wage Of SIS per week could not re-
ceive over S1125 per week if unem-
ployed. while according to H.R. 1898
he would be entitled to a minimum
benefit Of $25.
Anti-Labor Clause
According to Stephen Lesco, presi-
dent Of the League, the trainers Of
their bill studied practically all
American and European unemploy-
ment insurance bills to embody the
best principles Of all In spite Of
all these good intentions a vicious
clause was permitted to Green in
whereby this bill instead of being an
az to workers, could be used as
one Of the most effective strike
brealing devices by the bosses and
the State, This is contained in
point six, which reads:
Benefits shall be paid all en-
ployes, for duration Of unemplov-
ment, who having complied with
the ruling Of an authorized Fed
eral Labor Arbitration Board, such
as the Labor Disputes Compromise
Act, Resolution A. approved June
20, and, nevertheless, are forced
into strike or lockout"
This clause, under penalty of los
ing unemployment insurance bene-
fits. would force all strikers to &C
cept compulsory arbitration and
abide by all strike breaking deci-
sions of the arbitration board.
Another outstanding weakness Of
the bill consists of surrendering con-
troll of the fund to the political
machines and politicians by provid-
ing for the election of the Unem-
ployment Insurance Commission
through a mon partisan ticket
with no provisions made for work.
ers' control.
'Lundeen Bill III. R. 1888 Good
Propaganda"
When asked about the A. F. Of
L. Leagues attitude towards the
Workers Bill and the Washington
Congress. Mr. Lesco declared that
at present they were concerning
themselves with the passing Of the
State Bill alone.
II iShh hbpatNtlt ccneU1e
we recognize that the Lundeen
Bill is an excellent propaganda for
unemployment insurance but it is
impossible to put it into effect UNI
der the present system of society.
We sympathize with It. but we are
interested in pushing our State bill.
We do not see how the Washington
Congress could help our bill aside
from its propaganda value. No,
Green's letter against the Washing
ton Congress had nothing to do with
1t. We are opposed to the Wagner
Bill and viii fight against it. Put
ting through our State bill would
help greatly towards uniform Fed
eral unemployment insurance bill
and We are willing to work with any
group that would help us with our
State BILL
Mr.. Lesco, who gave the impress
sion of being entirely sincere. failed
to see that their proposed State
bill would have no more chance Of
passing than the Workers Bill. un-
less the broadest united front mass
support could be secured for It. The
backing of the Workers Bill would
only strengthen their fight for in
surance on a State scale, not to
mention the fact that their State
bills in its present form falls far
short from the protection the Work
ers' Bill would give. Their bill, with
the forced arbitration clause and
the proposed form Of electing the
Insurance Commission could be
most effectively turned against the
workers and used to break all their
strikes.