Dear Neighbor,
Since the last email, I learned about:
ADDITIONAL FORUM: Sept 7: Cambridge Citizen's Coalition (CCC): School Committee and City Council candidates from 5 - 8.30 pm. By Zoom it is at RSVP for Sept 7 CCC Candidate Forum by Zoom
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Progressive Mass so far has only Somerville.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Green and Open Somerville has answers from two candidates for mayor. Katjana Ballantyne here. Jake Wilson here.
This Labor Day I was thinking about the contrast between the first US Secretary of Labor and the current one, both women. And then about the many women in labor history.
FRANCES PERKINS
Frances Perkins was the first woman in a president's cabinet, appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. When we passed the updated Equal Pay Act last year, we named it after her. (Here's my newsletter about that.)
When she was 30, she was an eyewitness at the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and watched as 47 women died, leaping from the upper floors. 146 women, mostly Jewish immigrants age 16-23, died in total. The owners had blocked the fire exits to stop both union organizers and theft by the underpaid workers. The experience shaped Perkins' life, as she worked in New York (with FDR as governor) for worker safety and unemployment insurance.
When FDR asked her to be Labor Secretary, she demanded that he commit to a 40-hour work week, minimum wage, worker’s compensation, an end to child labor, unemployment insurance, Social Security, overtime pay, and universal health care. All but the last were adopted during her 12 years as secretary. Against strong State Department opposition, she developed workarounds to allow Jews fleeing the Nazis, especially children, to immigrate to the US.
(the above photo is from the Social Security Administration's history page which includes this caveat: "This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current policies or procedures.")
LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER
President Trump appointed Lori Chavez-DeRemer, former mayor of Happy Valley and one term Congresswoman, as Secretary of Labor.
A summary of her "transformational" work with Trump comes from Jess Craven on TikTok:
- executive orders to cancel collective bargaining agreements for many federal employees, including airport security
- paused enforcement of a Biden rule to stop misclassifying independent contractors
- denied worker rights to student athletes
- cut the federal contractor minimum wage from $17.75 to $13.30
- nominated anti-union Crystal Carey as NLRB general counsel
- and more...
MEANWHILE IN MASSACHUSETTS:
Chrissy Lynch is the first woman to serve as President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Watch her talk with Jon Keller about the Trump administration's assault on workers; also criticizes Democrats. She and other labor leaders spoke at rallies for Rumeysa Ozturk, in solidarity with Rumeysa, a member of SEIU 509.
Darlene Lombos is the first woman and first person of color to serve as president of the Greater Boston Labor Council. The GBLC is organizing the first Boston Labor Day Parade.
Massachusetts' Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, is also a woman, Lauren Jones, also strongly criticizes Trump administration policies.
TWENTY WOMEN IN LABOR HISTORY
The Zinn Education Project has brief biographies of women in US labor history, with links to learn more, including important, dramatic things I didn't know. like the children's exodus Our daughter Wendy's middle name is Elizabeth, after Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who was active in the Lawrence Mill Strike of 1912, also known as the Bread and Roses Strike.
BREAD AND ROSES
Here is a short, great video about the Bread and Roses strike, including important, dramatic things I didn't know. Including the children's exodus (which Elizabeth Gurley Flynn helped organize) and the two workers killed by gun and bayonet.
"This movement in Lawrence was strongly a singing movement... not only at the meetings did they sing, but at the soup houses and in the streets. I saw one group of women strikers, who were peeling potatoes at a relief station, suddenly break into the swing of 'The Internationale.'” (from Rethinking Schools). I do wish there was more singing these days at rallies!
Song of the Week: Bread and Roses
So many recordings. This one is by Kat Healy and Karina Smillie. Another favorite: from the movie Pride.
Coming Attraction: Soup and Salad! September 20!
Our annual soup/salad party will be Saturday, September 20, 5-8, at Cornerstone Cohousing in Cambridge. Details, and the chance to chop vegetables, coming soon.
Solidarity forever!
Pat Jehlen