Clara Lemlich

The Lemlich family had to make money. So, like many other young immigrant women arriving at the time, Clara found work at a factory. As a worker at a shirtwaist factory, she found the humiliation unbearable. The time that one could use in the bathroom was timed, and she often found herself rushing so that she wouldn’t be punished. The women working would have their wages cut short and, when they tried to question the reasoning, they were made fun of. Even more, time was taken off from the lunch hour, the working hours were often extended, and, once the workers finally did end their working day, they were searched to prevent theft. Because of these reasons, Clara joined the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) in the year 1906 and helped form Local 25. This marked a new beginning for women: their roles in union business. However, the men who ran the ILGWU did not support Local 25 very often. Even though they offered to help, women were often viewed as unreliable, even as a competitor. Thankfully, the Women’s Trade Union League stepped in in place of the ILGWU.

_{Workers strike the unfair conditions.}