Successes
[Group of striking women - shirtwaist workers. NYC. 1909], Library of Congress.
Though the strikers did not achieve a closed shop for all factories, they were still able to make an impact. Many of the picketers won improved wages, better hours, vacation days, increased pay for overtime, and more.
The uprising also impacted union membership. Local 25, an affiliate of the ILGWU started by Clara Lemlich, went from hundreds of members to over 20,000. Likewise, membership in the WTUL (Women’s Trade Union League) increased.
WTUL members, 1900, Kheel Center, Cornell University.
However, their greatest achievement was in the form of inspiration. As one of the largest strikes by women in history, it was highly influential to other women and garment workers. For example, the Philadelphia Shirtwaist Strike started soon after the New York Shirtwaist Strike. The strike’s leaders also played a pivotal role in other labor movements. Because she was blacklisted from working in factories, Clara Lemlich made a career out of activism. She worked alongside Pauline Newman at the ILGWU and participated in the women’s suffrage movement. Rose Schniederman contributed to FDR’s “New Deal” policies.