The Shingle Weavers’ Solidarity
Everett workers raise hundreds for a member with tuberculosis, highlighting the brotherly bonds of unionism in a changing industrial landscape.
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.
The shingle weavers raised over $200 this week by popular subscription to send to Bro. Fred La Barr and family to their Eastern home. Mr. La Barr, who is suffering from lung trouble, intends going to Arizona or some equally healthful state in an endeavor to regain his former health. This is one of the many instances, ignored by union haters of course, in which the brotherly bond of unionism takes concrete form.
“This is one of the many instances, ignored by union haters of course, in which the brotherly bond of unionism takes concrete form.”
In an era before robust health insurance or workplace protections, the mutual aid model was the only safety net for laborers facing catastrophic illness. This practice of 'popular subscription' highlights how workers historically created their own social welfare systems in the shadow of industrial exploitation.
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