IBE-W - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

a e Union Women-
The
Resolute
Spirit of
Their Valiant Struggles and Poignant Victories
.. .. . the lI 'oml~1I of I/O race or class wil/ ever rise in revolt or mlempr ro
hrillg ahoLll a N!\'oJurioflDl)' I'eolljuslmefll of their relation to society.
IIOh'('\'('r intense flle;r suffer;,,!!., lind Iw\t'(!\'er dear Iheir perceptioll of iI,
whife the welfare arid pers;sleJlce of society requires fhe;r submIssion .. ,hat
whellf"er there is a 8eneral allempl ollihe part of 'women of allY society 10
readjust Iheir position in il. a close OIlol),s;s will always show llwl 'he
changed or ('IIon8in8 conditions of sodety ha"e made women's acquiescence
110 lal/Rer necessary or des;rable . tI
-Olive Schreiner, Author
Woman and Labor, / 9/ /
Part II-Women in the Knights of Labor
lIT here is very lillie left in Ihe
annal of organized laborof that
short-lived body. The Knighls of Labor.
Still. women had peculiar reason
10 remember Ihe Knighl>. and 10 be
graleflilio Ihem. for Ihey were Ihe fim
large national organi7..lllion [0 \\'hich
women were admitlcd on Icnm. ofeqUiIIity
wi th men: and in the work of lhe
organizalion itsel f. they played an acti
ve and notable pan," s,lid nut hor, Alice
Hen ry. Ms. Henry, who ill 1915. wrole
Ihe book. The 'n'ode Ullioll Woman,
believed the illusive hislory of Ihe
Knights in the ni led Siaies and Canada,
is wonhy "of bUI lighl nOlice" in any
general narralion of Ihe problems Ih"l
plagued trade-union women.
The Knigh ls of Labor in Ihe niled
States existed as a secret organization
from 1869 10 I 78. having as its aim
Ihe improvemenl of living c ndi lions
of workingpeople. Al lhe Na lional Convemion
in I 78, Ihe Kn ights began 10
work as an act ive force in the communities.
The organiLation concentra ted
its effo rts on wage-earni ng ann fanning
groups. which consliluled Ihreefourths
oflhe membe",hip. n,e Knights
believed in organizing !ill worker.; wilhout
regard [0 skill. sex or race. Their
plan was 10 inc lude representatives of
different trades and crafts. Women were
fonnally admilled 10 Ihe order in 1881.
and (he fir ( woman to join w.m~ said to
be the wife of Ihe Ihen-Grand Masler
\Vorkman. Terence V. Powell.
While il was nOI known hO\ many
women belonged 10 the Knights alone
lime, it was estimated that about 50.OCKJ
women were members by the year I SR6.
Among thi s number. 3 gn::at variety of
crafl.s and trades were represented, predominated
by the shoe worke rs. Many
oflhe shoeworkers received prior tmining
in trade-unionism among the Daughters
of St. Cris pin. AI fi"l, some male
members of the Knights believed Ihm
Ihe woman's induslrial problem. mU>1
be handled apart from men's; however.
a number of more Ihoughlful head
prevailed and decided Ihal women"
problems must be handled wi lh men's
as a whole.
At a Kn ights of Labor Convenlion in
1885, il was VOTed. on Ihe mOlion of
Mary Hannafin. a Phi ladelphia saleswoman,
tha t a committee be appointed
10 collec( sta tistics on women'~ work.
The commillee consi ted of Ihe only
women delegates 10 the convenlion­
Mi~s Hannafin: Mar.v lirling. also of
Philadelphia: and Lizzie H . Shute.
Haverhill. Ma,sachusell>. AI Ihe nexl
conven ti on held in Richmond. Virginia,
in 1886. Ihere were 16 women delegale,
out of a 10lal of 600 altendees.
The e 16 w men delegale> we re appoinled
by the Knigh,,' Grand Masler
Workman. 10 receive and consider Ihe
report from tlle previou'l)' appolnled
committee or three.
After reviewing the repon, Ihe commillee
of 16100k all independenl land.
They announced Ihal lhcy had --formed
a pernHUlenl organizalion.lhe object of
which will bc 10 i l1 vc~ l igale the abuses
10 which w men are subjeclcd by un­
M.:rupu lou:" clllployer~; to agitate the
principle which our order leaches or
equal pay for equal work; and 10 lobby
for Ihe abolilion of child labor. " The
rcpon wa!) adopled. :.and shoTlly thereafter.
the WOIMn's Department of
the Knight s of Labor \Va> crealed, led
by a bri lliant. capable anel devoled
woman- Leonora Barry- as general
in vc~ligalo r .
Leonora Barry­
Trade Unionist
6
Leonora Bnrry, a young widow Wi lh
three children. had tried 10 earn a living
for her family in a hosiery mill al
AmMerdam. ew York. Her endeavor
10 work as a mill imnd earned her only
65 cents during Ihe fir-a week. And in
Ihal first week. she observed thai young
girls were obliged 10 subm il 10 insults
or be fired, which enraged her. When
, he rirsl heard of Ihe Knighl' of Labor,
, he promplly joined. Shortly Ihereafter.
Mrs. Barry was chosen as genera l
ill yc:-.tigalor.
Planning her own mClhod'\. she lOok
every opportunilY 10 organize women
whi le in her po~ilion a:-,. general investigalor,
and gave numerous public leclure,.
AI Ihe I 86 Knighls convenlion
in Richmond. Virginia. Mr~. Barry rcm
EW ,iOURI'ML/AUGUST 1992