Description

An original song sheet for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Several of the songs are noted as having been created by the members of the Local 91 strike, June 1937.The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) was founded in 1900 in New York City. It was one of the first unions primarily consisting of and led by women. Its first major strike was in New York City in 1909, followed by a larger one in 1910, where it won minor victories of better wages, working conditions, and hours. Following the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, many union members radicalized, and the public became more aware of harsh and unfair working conditions of these garment workers. A failed 1926 general strike and the Great Depression nearly bankrupt the ILGWU but President Roosevelt's National Industrial Recovery Act, which protected unions' right to organize, buoyed the struggling union. The union then expanded its activities, sponsoring sports teams and owning radio stations including 100.7 WVUN in Chattanooga. After World War II many companies moved their factories to parts of the country without strong union membership or abroad. With this the ILGWU's membership and influence shrank. In 1995 the ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers' Union to form UNITE which, in turn, merged with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union to form UNITE HERE.

Record Contributed By

Tennesse State Library and Archives

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Tennessee