Rose Schneiderman
Rose Schneiderman
Rose Schneidermanwas an American socialist and feminist, and one of the most prominent women labor union leaders...
NationalityPolish
ProfessionActivist
Date of Birth6 April 1882
CountryPoland
girls married men national paid period received single strike
During this strike period we girls each received $3 a week; single men $3 a week, and married men $5 a week. This was paid us by the National Board.
attack bosses employing girls gradually immigrant intended knew labor meant next raw rid work
Of course, we knew that this meant an attack on the union. The bosses intended gradually to get rid of us, employing in our place child labor and raw immigrant girls who would work for next to nothing.
burned business destroying factory girls hard learned machines paid quite
I learned the business in about two months, and then made as much as the others, and was consequently doing quite well when the factory burned down, destroying all our machines - 150 of them. This was very hard on the girls who had paid for their machines.
act easily girls meetings sympathize understand women
The girls and women by their meetings and discussions come to understand and sympathize with each other, and more and more easily they act together.
girl men years
After I had been working as a cap maker for three years it began to dawn on me that we girls needed an organization. The men had organized already, and had gained some advantages, but the bosses had lost nothing, as they took it out on us.
mean-girls average victory
Then came a big strike. About 100 girls went out. The result was a victory, which netted us - I mean the girls - $2 increase in our wages on the average.
girl spiritual men
To me, the labor movement was never just a way of getting higher wages. What appealed to me was the spiritual side of a great cause that created fellowship. You wanted the girl or the man who worked beside you to be treated just as well as you were, and an injury to one was the concern of all.
ballot women worker
The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too. Help, you women of privilege, give her the ballot to fight with.
stripped women
We have women working in the foundries, stripped to the waist, if you please, because of the heat.
good people public
We have tried you good people of the public and we have found you wanting.
against allowed conditions hand press protest time unbearable workers
But every time the workers come out in the only way they know to protest against conditions which are unbearable the strong hand of the law is allowed to press down heavily upon us.
bodies burned came good traitor
I would be a traitor to these poor burned bodies if I came here to talk good fellowship.
credit faithful late proved strike winning women
Women have proved in the late strike that they can be faithful to an organization and to each other. The men give us the credit of winning the strike.
charm delicacy losing retain says senator women work
Yet the Senator says nothing about these women losing their charm. They have got to retain their charm and delicacy and work in foundries.