Opening Remarks

American Labor's
Second Century


Toward a Federation of Labor

Federation of Organized Trades & Labor Unions

A Testing Period and Growth

Women in the Unions

Wartime Gains
and Post-War Challenges

From Murdered Miners to Shiny Dimes

Depression, War and
A Labor Schism Healed

The AFL-CIO Years

On the Farm:
Workers Seek Equality

 

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WOMEN IN THE UNIONS

A noteworthy event in the labor movement of the early 1900s was the creation of the Women's Trade Union League, to help educate women workers about the advantages of union membership, to support their demands for better working conditions, and to acquaint the public with the serious exploitation of the rising number of women workers, many of them in "home industries" or industrial sweatshops.

It was founded by Mary O'Sullivan, a bindery worker who became the first woman organizer employed by the AFL; Jane Addams, the noted social worker and founder of Chicago's Hull House; Mary Kehew, a Boston philanthropist, and women who were officials in the unions of the garment and textile industries.

For much of its first century, the labor movement was-in huge majority composed of men.  Except in a few occupations clerical work and the garment, textile, retail and hotel industries-the labor force was essentially male.

Since World War II, however, women have moved increasingly into new occupations and larger numbers of women have become full-time wage earners. As more and more women went to work, their union membership climbed, passing seven million in 1980.

In 1984, two women were serving on the AFL-CIO Executive Council as federation vice presidents.  Women also head a major AFL-CIO staff department and a national affiliate, while others hold offices of increasing responsibility in their unions.

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