1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910456663103321

Autore

O'Farrell Brigid

Titolo

She Was One of Us : Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker / / Brigid O'Farrell

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Ithaca, N.Y. : , 2010., : ILR Press

ISBN

0-8014-6245-2

0-8014-6246-0

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (304 p.)

Disciplina

973.917092

Soggetti

Women in the labor movement - United States - History - 20th century

Labor movement - United States - History - 20th century

Working class - United States - History - 20th century

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Why women should join unions -- Here comes Mrs. Roosevelt -- Practicing what you preach -- In her own way -- An essential element of freedom -- Pointing the way -- We have something to offer -- A revolutionary period.

Sommario/riassunto

Although born to a life of privilege and married to the President of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt was a staunch and lifelong advocate for workers and, for more than twenty-five years, a proud member of the AFL-CIO's Newspaper Guild. She Was One of Us tells for the first time the story of her deep and lasting ties to the American labor movement. Brigid O'Farrell follows Roosevelt-one of the most admired and, in her time, controversial women in the world-from the tenements of New York City to the White House, from local union halls to the convention floor of the AFL-CIO, from coal mines to political rallies to the United Nations. Roosevelt worked with activists around the world to develop a shared vision of labor rights as human rights, which are central to democracy. In her view, everyone had the right to a decent job, fair working conditions, a living wage, and a voice at work. She Was One of Us provides a fresh and compelling account of her activities on behalf of workers, her guiding principles, her circle of friends-including



Rose Schneiderman of the Women's Trade Union League and the garment unions and Walter Reuther, "the most dangerous man in Detroit"-and her adversaries, such as the influential journalist Westbrook Pegler, who attacked her as a dilettante and her labor allies as "thugs and extortioners." As O'Farrell makes clear, Roosevelt was not afraid to take on opponents of workers' rights or to criticize labor leaders if they abused their power; she never wavered in her support for the rank and file. Today, union membership has declined to levels not seen since the Great Depression, and the silencing of American workers has contributed to rising inequality. In She Was One of Us, Eleanor Roosevelt's voice can once again be heard by those still working for social justice and human rights.