The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-25

and casual workers who are work.
ing only during rush seasons.
The amount Of the BENEFITS is so
small as to be insignificant as aid
during long periods Of unemplog-
ment. The most that can be re-
ceived in benefits in any one year
is ten dollars a week for ten weeks
but even this need not be paid.
The act states that ten dollars a
week or so per cent Of the wages
may be paid whichever is the
smaller. Then If the reserves" be-
come depleted, benefits can be re-
duced to as little as one dollar
weekly.
The trainers Of the Wisconsin Bill
turned a neat trick in making the
bill legal manner Of instituting
forced labor. Under the terms for
partial unemployment, a worker
who earns eight dollars week would
be entitled to two dollars weekly
benefits.
But the Wisconsin Bill is what il
technically known as a plant re-
serves fund" that is, the boss puts
two per cent of the wages he pays
to those workers who qualify into a
fund (He may carry the fund on
his books, and should he go bank
rupt, the workers lose all benefits.
When SIS reserves" are built up
the payment drops to one per cent,
and when S75 reserves" are reached
for each worker covered, payments
stop. The fund" is now completed.
AS it becomes depleted, the boss may
reduce payments or suspend pay
ment altogether The commission
which "supervises" the funds does
not guarantee the adequacy of the
fund.- and if it is deposited with it,
is only liable for their amount.
Forced Labor Clause
Under the forced labor clause If
man is paid $40 a week he is en-
titled to no benefits. BY this, and
by the hourly guarantee which
will be later described, the boss can
find it to his advantage to employ
his workers on part time in his
factory at $40 weekly wages and
pay no insurance whatsoever.
Should the idea of "unemploy-
ment insurance" prove too distaste-
full to the employer, he can slash
hours and wages and still remain
under the terms of the Wisconsin
Bill. Under this provision. he can
guarantee" the workers forty-two
weeks work year at twenty hours
a week and need make no proVi-
sion for building up unemployment
insurance reserves.
Once unemployed, the workers
must register at state employment
office. And on this point another
clause automatically bars the aged,
the sick and the disabled from bene-
fits. stating that workers must be-
physically able and available for
work"
The act defines unemployment
and includes a misconduct clause
which states: IAN employee is wholly
barred from benefits if he has lost
his employment through misconduct,
if he quits without good cause at
tributable to his employer This
is obviously a strikebreaking clause
since it is for all practical purposes
under the act impossible for the
workers to prove that the employer
is at fault.
The Wisconsin Act, which speci-
fically avoids the term "unemploy-
ment insurance" is q bare-faced
anti-strike, foraed labor proposition
for those working in the factories.
For the totally unemployed it pro-
vides absolutely no provisions, and
vast sections Of the working class,
including the sick and disabled, are
totally barred from benefits
Only the Workers Unemployment
and Social Insurance Bill, printed in
full elsewhere on this page, grants
security to the unemployed and to
all employed workers without dis
elimination.