The Women's Trade Union League

The Women's Trade Union League was formed in 1903. It was not a traditional union, but and organization that linked upper and middle class reformers with union women in trying to improve the conditions of working class women. The WTUL and the Socialist Party supported a failed attempt to organize the "shirtwaist" industry, that lead the the first, massive, mostly women (80% of strike participants) strike in 1909-1910.

The organizing attempt failed because the male dominated unions that initially supported the strike withdrew their support when strikers continued to insist on getting all of their demands. Also, there were ethnic divisions and a varying degree of militancy among the strikers. Other attempts to organize women workers, including the corset maker in Kalamazoo and the textile workers in Lawrence, occurred in the 1900's. These organizations were supported by the WTUL and other reform-minded organizations, as well, as some degree of support by man unions.



Women continued to prove themselves to be faithful and militant union members.




Organized or not, women have been an increasingly important part of the work force since the early days of industrialization. Yet, some narrow minded, primarily male historians continue to discount women as workers. And, by doing that, they ignore important and interesting facts of labor history.





Sources:

America's Working Women, "The Shirtwaist Uprising". pg. 170-171, "Ethnic Unity". pg 177-183


Mason, Karen M. "Feeling the Pinch: The Kalamazoo Corsetmakers' Strike of 1912, " To Toil the Livelong Day



Photos:
http://msit.gsu.edu/dhr/pullen/images/34strike/stkpic10.jpg