The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 2, 1933, Page 7

Hs By J. STACHEL. The outstanding isewe im the le- ber movement today ie the fight for unemployment. insurance. It must be made the central issue in the May Day demonstrations. It is the issue which expresses the most vital needs of the masses at present. ‘With seventeen million unemployed, with additional millions on a part time basis, with all workers facing insecurity; as to to their jobs—the fight for unemployment insurance is the fight of the entire working class. Side by side with the fight for un- employment insurance there must be developed the fight for a whole system of social insurance. Includ- ing old age pensions, accident and maternity insurance, etc. All work- ers today feel the whip of starva- tion from the very first day that they are unemployed no matter what the reason. Workers’ savings which were always small and limited to only a section of the workers are | wiped out. The workers have no reserves. They must depend on | charity or starve when they are not | employed. Only a system of universal social | insurance can bring some measure of security to the workers under the | capitalist system. May Day, the tra- ditional day of struggle of the work- | ers of this country, the day of | the memorable and historic strugg- | les for the 8-hour day must be con- verted into a gigantic mass struggle among other things first and fore- most for Unemployment Insurance, for Social Insurance. Capitalists Oppose Unemployment | and Social Insurance. The capitalists are opposed te un- employment insurance. They in- stead_wish. to place the whole bur- den of the crisis, of unemployment upon the shoulders of the masses themselves. It is for this reason that they advocate and put into practice the stagger plan. They di- vide the work among the workers, in addition to cutting wages. They lower the standard of living of all the masses. They use the large army of unemployed to force wages Daily Worker—May Day Supplement, 1933 May First and the Struggle for U nemployment Insurance The Demonstrations in Every City and Town Must Make Unem- ployment Insurance a Central Slogan Se a ance Shall be no less than $10.00 weekly for adult woixers and $3.00 for each rependeni, to all workers wholly wnempzoyed through no fault of their own, for the entire ganizations have endorsed and sup-| movement which no group im the , insurance, but which does not bring | ported this fight. This slogan’ for? the first time |” rallied large masses in the historic unemployed demonstrations of March 6, 1930. It took place thru- out the world at the call of the Communist International. Over a million workers participated in the United States alone. Since that time these organizations carried on a.consistent fight for federal un- employment insurance. The Com- munist Party, the TUUL, the Unem- ployed Councils have organized mass actions in all cities, towns and states. And a number of national actions the last of which was the | national hunger march to Washing- ton in December. Within the A. F. of L. with the support of the left wing labor organizations there has been developed a mass movement labor movement can ignore. Position of the Reformists on Unemployment Insurance The Socialist Party was compelled to come forward for unemployment insurance at least in name. The unemployment insurance bill passed |in Wisconsin with the support of the Socialist Party there, which t iS Wh o z period of unemployment.” f The bill also provides against dis- any benefits to the masses of unem- | crimination, fo: ents in part to ployed. | part time’workers. It provides for While the official socialist bint | the taxing of the rich to provide varies somewhat from the Wiseon-/| the funds with which to pay the sin Bill it is of the same character.| unemployed. (The bill is printed in These bills in the first place at best | full in this issue of the Daily Work- would not insure the seventee mil- | er—Editor). K ut onl i cae uk cow tae perce Ahgecmg This is the bill which the workers surance would be paid only after | Should support. We musi expose the reserve fund is built up which all the other schemes of the capi- would be taken at least.in part from | the workers’ wages. Thirdly the bill | limits the payments to only a few) weeks in the year and fixes a max- imum of 10 weeks payment at a | maximum of $10 per week. The bills introduced in the various | States, Ohio, New York and others) 7 are all of the same category. They meio: would. not insure the mass of the | talists and their agents. Regarding ‘RAs Thin Z ; ance despite the stubborn opposi- down to ever lower levels. They 989 gon know that if there existed a system of compulsory federal unemploy- ment insurance this would be a force against workers competing in the job market for any wages. They would be unable to force the work- ers to contribute to the charity they hand out to the workers through the forced collections for the com- munity funds. They would be un- _ able to introduce forced labor for those receiving charity relief and city relief. The capitalists are op- posed_te unemployment insurance between it would cost them a por- tion of their profits. Because it would unite the employed and un- employed workers and raise the fighting spirit and capacity of the entire working-class. Communist and Left Wing Fight for Federal Unemployment Insurance But notwithstanding the hostil- ity of the capitalists to any form of unemployment insurance they are compelled to manouever and make gestures favoring some form of in- surance. This is due to the fact that the masses of unemployed and employed workers are in ever great- er numbers demanding the enact- ment of unemployment insurance legislation. The Communist Party was the first organization in this for federal unemployment insur- | controls the city of Milwaukee and other cities, is a clear indication that the socialist stand is in reality one of disrupting the fight for a genuiné unemployment insurance. The fight for unemployment insur- | Tt is the adoption of bills which ance has become a broad mass | carry the name of unemployment tion of the AFL leadership that this was the dole and “unAmerican.” ae SE Workers’ Unemployment Insurance Bill — That a system of federal government unemployment in- surance be immediately established by an act of congress and made immediately effective, guaranteeing the average wages in the respective industries and territories in the United States. The unemployment insurance shall not be less than $10.00 weekly for adult workers, $3.00. for each dependent, to all workers wholly unemployed through no fault of their own, for the entire period of unemployment. For all workers, no discrimination—That unemployment insurance be paid to every unemployed worker, adult, and | youth, whether industrial or agricultural, office employees, and all other categories of wage labor, native or foreign-born, citizen or non-citizen, white and Negro, men and women, and without discrimination against race, color, age or political opinion. No worker shall be deprived of unemployment in- surance because of refusal to take the place of strikers or to work for less than union rates of pay. Insurance at the expense of the employers and the gov- ernment—That the full funds for unemployment insurance shall be raised by the government from funds now set asid for war preparations and by taxation upon incomes ove: $5,000 a year. In no instance shall there be any contribu- tions levied upon the workers—in any form whatsoever for this insurance. Administration by the workers—That the unemploy- ment insurance fund shall be administered and controlled by the workers through unemployment insurance commissions composed of rank and file members of workers’ organiza- tions. That unemployment insurance commissions be em- powered to establish free employment exchanges for the reg- istration of the workers. The payment of unemployment in- surance, the hearing of contested claims for unemployment insurance and appeals from awards made. For other forms of social insurance—That social insur- ance be paid to workers to the amount not less than $10.00 weekly for adult workers, $3.00 for each dependent to com- pensate for loss of wages through sickness accident, old age, maternity, etc. Part-time workers shall receive the difference between their wages and the unemployment insurance benefit. No worker shall be disqualified from receiving unemployment insurance because he refuses to work at wages below what he was formerly receiving or below the prevailing trade union rates in that vicinity, nor shall he or she be disqualified for refusing to work because of strike or unsafe or unhealthful conditions, nor where hours are longer than the usual trade union standards in the particular trade or locality. An employee shall not be required to accept employment if the establishment where employment is offered is at an unreasonable distance from his or her home. IN tent that the amount the workers , | would receive is no more than that | which the relicf agencies are com- fing t | unemployed but deal with those who | the bilis introduced in the various | still have jobs. They make. the | Workers contribute to the funds to ibe built up and paymenis to start | only when sufficient funds are ; raised. They Hmit the number of weeks and payments to such an ex- state legislatures, we must point out that the most effective way to in- sure the workers is through the system of federal unemployment in- surance. At the same time at pres- ent the Workers Unemployment In- surance Bill as an amendment to the legislatures to be | pelled to pay and in some cases even | \less. In New York the Governor |” kelaimed that even if the bill was, But we must in doing this avoid | passed it would take at least two of mistakes that certain | years until the insurance would be I fallen. paid to anyone. And for this reason | he urged iat the bill be passed. In | addition all these bills are strike- | breaking bills. Workers on strike | would not receive any insurance. Thus the bosses would convert the | the state and to Congress. We mu bill into anti-strike insurance in-|¢Vverywhere fight for the demands stead of unemployment insurance. embodied in the Workers Unem- ployment Insurance Bill. y in forgeiti putting forwar Secondly in changing the bill so that a different bill is proposed for American Federation of Labor The AF.L. leaders who have stub- bornly opposed unemployment in- | The masses are in motion. They surance in “principle” as against the | wish to fight against the attacks “ideals of Americanism” have been of the capitalists. The workers are compelled by the pressure of the now confronted with severe attacks. rank and file to make a gesture and Already Wages are only in total 33 adopt “unemployment insurance” at | per cent of 1929. Now through in- the last convention. But the plan /flation and through new wage cuts they adopted was to sponsor state | the capitalists and their government bills of the character mentioned | wish to further undermine the liv- above. In other words under the | ing ‘standards of the masses. They name of being for unemployment | wish to extend the stagger plan j insurance they are continuing under | through the “Black 30-hour Bill” new forms their struggle against a | Which does not carry with it a cor- responding increase in wages to | guarantee weekly and monthly earn- jings. The A. F. of L. and the So- | cialists have endorsed this stagger | Plan. We must oppose this new at- tack. We must expose the attempt to cripple the labor organizations | through compulsory arbitration, forced labor and other similar meas- used now before Congress as part of the Roosevelt program. In the center of all these demands must | be the fight for the Workers Unem- jae The A. F. of L. eye Insurance Bill, i unemployment insur- prog : paige eae weet ae ban help to unite all workers to fight taken by the rank and file om this |°@*nst the capitalist attack. as well as many other questions. Te ee ee of demonstrations and strikes inemployment a The Workers ae i Ineur- ror increased wages to meet infla- tion prices, against the whole Roose- There is only one proposal for un- | velf program, for the Workers Un- employment insurance that has | employment Insurance Bill. Make May Day a Day of Struggle been brought forward which _ May Day is bm big ike te presses the needs and interests of the masses. This is the Workers Unemployment Insurance Bill. This ward in the developing of the united front of the workers in struggle for bill is supported by the organiza- the realization of the demands of the masses, tions that have started the struggle for unemployment insurance in the U. S. The Communist Party, the TUUL, the Unemployed Councils. It is now also supported by the A. F. of L. Committee for Unemploy- ment Insurance and by the Inter- national Workers Order as well as other left wing labor organizations. In fact the bill in its present form is more concrete. In revised form which was first adopted by the Cin- cinnati Rank and File Conference that took place at the time of the last AFL convention. This bill calls for a: ately established by an act of Gon- gress and made immediately ef-