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Goodman, Emma (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This second interview with Emma Goodman, conducted in her home as part of a student project, covers a general overview of her background and labor union activities. There is very little chronological sequence to this interview and several topics are discussed only briefly. TOPICS - family and political background; activities as a Business Agent; union benefits, wages, and union officials; the status of women in society; attitudes about birth control, and menstruation; 11/14/1974
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- File: lhgwegoodman2.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-1:35)... Tape introduction. Goldman discusses the main woman organizer in the ILGWU in Los Angeles, who she believed also worked as a vice president. [Note: She is probably referring to Rose Pesotta.] Many of the union officials were from the rank and file and the union did not hire people from outside the union. (1:35-4:45)... Emma Goldman and Margaret Sanger pioneered the idea that women be liberated from childbirth through the use of birth control. She digresses into the historical background of Goldman and Alexander Berkman. (4:45-5:48)... Most of the men in the labor movement were socialists and wanted to improve women's working conditions and wages so that men's wages were not compromised. (5:48-7:35)... When she immigrated to the US and started working in the garment industry, she wanted to eventually become a tenement inspector because the conditions were so poor. However, she did not pursue this because she did not have a formal education and did not attend college. At this time, women were fighting against a purely domestic existence, which was illustrated by the fight for suffrage. (7:35-8:31)... Some women who participated in picketing and other labor movement activities were the wives of wealthy men and used this as an opportunity to gain publicity. She contends that these women did not offer very much assistance to the workers and participated because of vanity. (8:31-12:04)... She worked as a Business Agent for Local 58 of the ILGWU for twelve years, splitting her time between organizing and settling prices in the shops. If price negotiations were not settled, the dispute was taken to an impartial chairman, who moderated disputes regarding prices and other issues between the union and the employer. She believes she was the only woman Business Agent on the Pacific Coast at that time, and was instrumental in getting this position for women. [Editor's note: this perception of hers is not accurate.] She argued that women made up the majority of the ILGWU and were entitled to representation within the union. Tape interruption (12:04-14:58)... She describes Rose Pesotta as a very revolutionary woman, whom Goodman believed was an anarchist. Pesotta was active in New York between 1930-50, and Goodman describes her as a very great speaker and organizer. When Pesotta came to Los Angeles, Goodman became acquainted with her. Goodman digresses into a discussion of union benefits, indicating that she pressured the union to enact medical care and unemployment insurance for the membership. The union also later established a retirement fund. (14:58-17:00)... When she first started working in the US, she earned $6 a week, which was a good wage at the time, especially since she lived with her sister. The living conditions for immigrants were very poor and wages were very low. As a result, many people took work home with them in addition to working in the factories. The union discouraged workers and manufacturers from engaging in these practices. (17:00-18:03)... She contends that many of the immigrants who came to America were raised in a political environment that resulted in class consciousness. These people were already imbued with idealism, socialism, and unionism. (18:03-21:15)... When she came to the US, her sister was living in New York. Goodman's sister was also very radical and supported unionism. Goodman recalls picketing the butcher shops and boycotting certain food products while still living in Europe. Some of her siblings remained in Europe and after WWI, it was more difficult for people to immigrate because the United States placed a quota on immigration. (21:15-23:21)... She believes that organizing women for the union affected women's lives positively. Women now realize their value in society and that they are capable of doing more than just giving birth. If given the opportunity, women are just as, or more, capable than men. She believes that war changed women's physical appearance and their clothing styles. For instance, women cut their hair because having long hair interfered with assembly line work. (23:21-25:41)... When she lived with her sister in New York, they lived in a very nice apartment. Her brother-in-law worked as a printer and was unionized. She decided to go to work in the factories because an acquaintance worked in the industry. When she saw the working conditions in the shops, she decided to fight for labor rights. She was further inspired after meeting Rose Schneiderman, who worked as a paid organizer the Women's Trade Union League. Goodman believes that the employers did not pay attention to what the workers talked about on the shop floor because their only concern was production. (25:41-28:36)... In 1912, the issues being fought by WTUL were the eight-hour day and lifting the restrictions limiting women to light work. She does not approve of a woman doing a man's job because women are not physically capable of certain work. There is a biological difference between men and women and some work is not biologically possible for women. If women complete work that is not suited to their gender, they may prevent their chances of giving birth. When she was working, there were a lot of pregnant women working in the shop and the employers did not want them giving birth on the shop floor. (28:36-31:37)... When she moved to Los Angeles, she married her husband and her living conditions and economic status were stable unlike many other working women at the time. Although she was not wealthy, she and her husband managed their money and were able to support themselves. She digresses into a discussion of observing women at the market who are on food stamps and purchase frivolous food products for their children. These women should be taught how to manage their money and purchase nutritious food for their family. (31:37-32:43)... When she organized workers for the union, she often encountered language barriers. On these occasions, she recruited organizers who spoke the same language as the workers. There were both Black and Hispanic men and women organizers in the garment industry. (32:43-35:28)... She recalls the internal conflict within the union between the right and the left political factions. The communists wanted to control the union. She recalls a meeting when the communists broke chairs over people's heads and a fight broke out. She digresses into a discussion of Schneiderman and her participation in the labor movement. Schneiderman did not participate directly with the labor unions, but was interested in women's labor rights in relation to hours and heavy work. (35:28-38:43)... On a social level, she recalls that women talked about their boyfriends, etc. However, they generally did not talk about sex because it was a taboo subject. In terms of work, women complained about wages and wanted to earn the same amount of money as the men. Because her mother died when she was young, she learned about menstruation from her older sisters. She recalls that during menstruation, women wore a belt with a towel or some type of linen attached to the belt with pins. She recalls that women did use an internal contraceptive, but it was dangerous and often caused hemorrhaging. (38:43-40:00)... She discusses the Workmen's Circle, which was organized by Jewish socialists. She belonged to the Workmen's Circle in Los Angeles. (40:00-42:00)... She retired from the ILGWU in 1968 . She believes she was the first woman Business Agent on the West Coast, a position to which she was elected on three occasions. (42:00-44:19)... When women finally received the vote, they voted in a very reactionary way; they did not know how to use their vote or for whom to vote. As a result, many women did not cast a ballot even after they were given the opportunity. During the Depression, she and her husband both worked and did not suffer economically. End of tape
- SUBJECT BIO - Emma Goodman became involved in labor struggles almost from the moment she landed in New York from Russia in 1912. During her stay in New York, she also had contact with the WTUL (Women's Trade Union League). She moved to Los Angeles in 1920 and married, and left the work force in1922 after the birth of her first child. She returned to work and joined the ILGWU in 1929-1930 and became active once again, eventually becoming a part-time organizer and later, in 1956, the Business Agent for Local 58. She retired after twelve years, in 1968, when her husband became ill. The interview with Goodman was conducted as a student project at UCLA. INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This second interview with Emma Goodman, conducted in her home as part of a student project, covers a general overview of her background and labor union activities. There is very little chronological sequence to this interview and several topics are discussed only briefly. TOPICS - family and political background; activities as a Business Agent; union benefits, wages, and union officials; the status of women in society; attitudes about birth control, and menstruation;
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