The Struggle for Industrial Safety
C.R. Case explains the new Washington Workman’s Compensation Act, meant to end the era of predatory insurance companies.
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.
Approximately one hundred and fifty shingle weavers gathered to listen to an exposition of the new workman’s compensation act by C.R. Case of the State Federation of Labor. The new law, effective October 1st, will keenly affect the shingle weaver, as the constant crippling of men in the industry had resulted in great losses of time and wages. Under the old system of suing for damages, very few workers received adequate compensation, with the majority of settlements being consumed by attorney fees and insurance company profits. The Washington act is the first instance in the United States where the state has taken up the burden of compelling industry to bear the cost of injury.
“The Washington act is the first instance in the United States where the state has taken up the burden of compelling industry to bear the cost of industry.”
The transition from litigating workplace injuries to a state-managed insurance system was a massive labor victory in Washington. It serves as an early landmark in the evolution of the modern social safety net.
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