The Price of Industrial Progress
As Washington’s new worker compensation law takes hold, the local union paper tallies the first injuries in Everett’s mills.
The compensation law went into effect the first of this month. Since then, three local men have been hurt that we know of, and each one will receive compensation for his injuries. There will be no court costs nor attorneys' fees, just a signed statement of loss certified to by the doctor accompanying the application. C.K. Smith, a shingle weaver employed at the Clough-Hartley mill, had fingers cut on Oct 10. Hans Casperson, a longshoreman, had a hand smashed and bruised on Oct 17. W. Culman, a longshoreman, had an arm broken on Oct 17.
“There will be no court costs nor attorneys' fees, just a signed statement of loss certified to by the doctor.”
This reflects the early implementation of Washington's pioneering workers' compensation system, a massive shift from the 'employer liability' regime that previously left injured laborers to fund their own recoveries. Today, debates over worker safety and the adequacy of L&I coverage continue to shape the lives of the Pacific Northwest's industrial workforce.
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