Solidarity in the Face of Sickness
When a local shingle weaver fell ill with tuberculosis, his union brothers stepped in to ensure his care at a state sanatorium.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A letter received from the Anti-Tuberculosis Society of King County states that a member of the local shingle weavers' union, Wm. Schuls, has come under their care. It is stated that the case is considered hopeful if he can remain at least three months in the sanatorium. The weavers have no benefit fund but are going to see that the boy is taken good care of just the same. He will be maintained in the sanatorium by the local union and the boys will go down into their pockets to foot the bills.
“The weavers have no benefit fund but are going to see that the boy is taken good care of just the same.”
This reflects an era before robust public health nets, where labor unions functioned as mutual aid societies. Today's labor struggles in Everett continue to address the intersection of workplace conditions and healthcare access for the working class.
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