Kalamazoo women workers strike against predator bosses in 1912. Though not overly explicit due to a hypocritical Edwardian decorum, nevertheless clear are the accusations of rape, assault, and coerced sexual exchange that led to one of the more remarkable strikes of the time; with sexual harassment of women workers a leading cause of the walkout. Led by Kalamazoo Corset Workers’ Union, Local 82 of I.L.G.W.U. and defying an injunction to return to work, strikers were jailed for refusing to be assaulted for greater compensation. Isolated geographically, socially, and organizationally, with a near total lack of support from of Michigan’s A.F.L., almost entirely male and craft concerned, the struggle eventually went down to ‘defeat’. Though not without an invaluable education in organizing, while helping to politicize a whole group of working-class women. And most importantly, the working women of Kalamazoo set a precedent, one our class would do well to assert: Dignity and safety at the workplace is non-negotiable.

‘Kalamazoo Corset Makers Still on Strike’ from The New York Call. Vol. 5 No. 56, June 4, 1912.

Injunction by Capitalist Judges Fails to Break Girls’ Spirits.

(Correspondence to The Call) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 31. The indignation meeting held in the Superior Court room at the City Hall brought out some facts regarding the strike of the Kalamazoo corset workers which the public has not been permitted to know, seemingly, reports the Herald.

The principal speaker of the evening, Miss Gertrude Barnum, of Chicago, international organizer for the Ladies Garment Workers’ Union. handed the club women of Kalamazoo a stiff jolt, and while she was careful not to speak disrespectfully of Judge Knappen. whose injunction against picketing was disobeyed by five of the striking workers, resulting in their incarceration in jail for terms of five days to twenty days, she did intimate that the judge did not know what he was doing when he issued the injunction, and claimed that the judge had admitted it to her.

“The conditions, moral and social among the Kalamazoo corset workers are dreadful beyond description.” she said. The girl who works in the corset factors for a wage of $5 a week–and often it is less than that can hardly be expected to live and cloth herself without resorting to immoral practices. This condition is a known fact, not only to the workers themselves, but throughout Kalamazoo generally.

Takes Shot at Club Women.

“The ministers of the Christian churches know it, the leaders of the highest society know it, the women who form the highest intellectual life of that fair city know it, and have known it 10 years. But they will do nothing to better it, because it strikes at the heart of the whole social fabric at the city. Some of the leaders of the clubs and social life of the city derive their income from the profits made off the labor of these girls. they are not anxious to deprive themselves of their comforts and luxuries by interfering in this crisis, for they have been taught to believe that interference which would make for better conditions for these girls would do just that.

“At the beginning of this strike the sanitary conditions in the factory affected were dreadful beyond imagination. Diseases of an unspeakable nature were rampant: there was one common wash room for the 300 employes, men and women, and can say of my personal knowledge that but two towels were provided for them.

“Young girls are drawn into the city from all over the State by specious advertisements of light work, good pay and fine surroundings. When they get there they are allowed two weeks’ time in which to become familiar with the work, during which they are paid sufficient to board them. Then they are put on the piece work system and, by the testimony of the head of the business, the average wage of all the employes in that factory is $7.67 per week, but he did not mention that from this is deducted about $1 per week for thread, which the workers must pay. So by his own admission the average wage of these girls is but $6.67 per week.

Average Weekly Wage $6.67.

“Some of the most skilled operators. and the more favored of the foremen, for one reason or another which may not be mentioned, make as high as $12 per week. What brings the average down then to $6.67 The less efficient, who can earn but 35 cents per day, some of them. But the 35-cent girl has to live as well as the more skilled one, and not all the girls employed in the corset factories of Kalamazoo have come to the point where they will live as the wages they earn would compel them to. As a workingman put it (I use his own. words), They put them on rollers and shove them down to hell. The average wage of the corset workers of Kalamazoo is less than $5 per week, and of the 800 workers less than half get more than that amount.”

Miss Barnum said other and stronger things: she charged conditions which she claims are common knowledge throughout Kalamazoo. and adds that seemingly nobody cares.

The Superior Court room was less than half filled when Rodney Irwin, president of the Bricklayers’ Union of this city, called the meeting to order and introduced Mayor Ellis as chairman. The Mayor said that if he were transferred from his office I below stairs to a seat on the bench there would be fewer injunctions issued, at which there was cheering. He said that if the jurors’ chairs were filled by men interested in these questions there would be fewer convictions, and there was more cheering.

“The people worship a few heroes and forget the many,” he said. “Grant, Sheridan and Sherman, Lee, Jackson and Johnson are remembered in the pages of history, while in the Arlington Cemetery at Washington lie unnamed thousands–the unknown thousands, soldiers in a common cause.”

Give Strikers Aid.

On the platform with the chairman and the principal speakers were two of the striking corset workers from” Kalamazoo, one of whom, Mabel Dustin, was released from jail after having served five days for contempt of court in having violated the injunction of Judge Knappen against picketing. She told of her experience, and said she was willing to go back to Jall if that would help any.

Claude Taylor, editor of the Ob server; Edward Kosten, late Socialist) candidate for Mayor: A. Ellis, who was attorney for the furniture strikers last year; Conrad McGoorty and a number of others spoke. A contribution was taken up in aid of the Kalamazoo workers and $55.29 was contributed, the bricklayers’ union contributing $25 of this.

The following resolutions were adopted with a shout.

“Whereas the Corset Workers’ Union of Kalamazoo has been carrying on a brave struggle against starvation wages and immoral and insanitary conditions in Kalamazoo Corset Company’s plant; and

“Whereas the only means they know of for bettering their conditions was the persuasion of their fellow workmen to join their organization and their strike, and

“Whereas we believe their motives and the object of their conduct should have been a full excuse for any alleged overt act against the injunction of the court; and

“Whereas a Circuit Court judge has issued an injunction restraining them from such persuasion, and has jailed twelve of their number for violating his order. and

“Whereas we believe their motives and the object of their conduct should have been a full excuse for any alleged overt act against the injunction of the court, therefore, be it

“Resolved. That this body protests against such government by injunction and, be it further

“Resolved. That we pledge ourselves to use our utmost efforts to create public opinion, and to pass a definite law in the State of Michigan favoring peaceful picketing.”

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/the-new-york-call/1912/120604-newyorkcall-v05n156.pdf