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Rozner, Sarah (audio interview #11 of 20)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the nineteenth interview with Sarah Rozner conducted in her home on July 2, 1974, seven months after the previous interview. Compared to the earlier eighteen interviews, her energy level was very low, and she seemed to lack enthusiasm about doing the interview. The purpose of this interview was to clarify any material not discussed in previous interviews, particularly Rozner's activities after she retired from the ACWA. The interview begins with an attempt to establish an outline for this interview. TOPICS - This side of the tape begins with a review of the material covered in the previous eighteen interviews; Other topics include: post-retirement activities; relationship with women in locals outside Los Angeles; women's scholarship program she developed; educational program instituted at Louart; and the opposition from the union for these initiatives;retirement activities; general philosophy of life; changes in union and union leadership; the future of the union, workers and society; 7/2/1974
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- 2020-04-06
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- SUBJECT BIO - Sarah Rozner joined the ranks of the labor movement the minute she set foot on US soil and began working in men's clothing in Chicago just prior to the 1910 strike. She organized practically every shop in which she worked - unless she was fired first - and was particularly interested in mobilizing women and helping them to assert their rights. Her woman/feminist consciousness led her to work on the establishment of a Woman's Local of the ACWA in Chicago (Local 275). She worked with other women in the ACWA to establish a Woman's Bureau, but did not succeed. She became one of the first women Business Agents in tailoring in Chicago in 1921, and held various positions in the shops and in the union. When she moved to Los Angeles in 1938, she continued to organize at the shop level, establishing education programs for workers at Louart. She continued to advocate for women, and when she retired in 1959, she established a scholarship for women. Even after her retirement, Rozner remained involved with the union, became a member of CLUW (Coalition of Labor Women) after its formation, and remained outspoken on women's issues, particularly in the labor movement. The interviews with Rozner totaled almost hours, divided fairly evenly between her activities in Chicago and in Los Angeles. She was interviewed as part of the Feminist History Research Project labor series, referred by the ACWA. INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the nineteenth interview with Sarah Rozner conducted in her home on July 2, 1974, seven months after the previous interview. Compared to the earlier eighteen interviews, her energy level was very low, and she seemed to lack enthusiasm about doing the interview. The purpose of this interview was to clarify any material not discussed in previous interviews, particularly Rozner's activities after she retired from the ACWA. The interview begins with an attempt to establish an outline for this interview. TOPICS - This side of the tape begins with a review of the material covered in the previous eighteen interviews; Other topics include: post-retirement activities; relationship with women in locals outside Los Angeles; women's scholarship program she developed; educational program instituted at Louart; and the opposition from the union for these initiatives;retirement activities; general philosophy of life; changes in union and union leadership; the future of the union, workers and society;
- File: lhgwsrozner37.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-10:21)... This segment begins with a review of the material covered in the previous eighteen interviews, and the topics to be discussed in this interview. During this interchange, Rozner discusses her involvement with the Board of Directors in the Industrial Department at Bryn Mawr College and her association with a woman who worked on the Board of Directors in the English Department during this time. (10:21-18:36)... She remained active after retiring, often attending union and Local meetings, participating in picket lines during strikes, and speaking to Local 408 about women and the history of the ACWA. She remained in constant contact with women in Locals in Banning, San Diego, and Phoenix, Arizona. These Locals met in Los Angeles at least once a month for union meetings, at which time she took women aside and impressed upon them that women made up 98 percent of the union and needed more representation in union positions. She digresses into a discussion of her early years in Los Angeles when the union was still weak and the membership very low. (18:36-22:53)... She established a mutually respectful relationship with Roightman (sp?) when he came to Los Angeles in 1943-44. He was interested in the Education Department in the union office, with which she was coordinating efforts for the educational program at Louart. He became a Business Agent around 1947. Although she traveled to Banning on several occasions to speak to the women there, she does not recall an argument occurring between him and the women in the local. [Note: there is some background noise as Rozner shuffles through papers.] (22:53-26:21)... In approximately 1969, her activities with the union slowed down. She went back to the union office on several occasions to inquire about the scholarship program she developed. Ruth Miller blamed the Business Agents in the local for not cooperating with her. She eventually tired of making these inquiries and the scholarship program was dissolved. These events bothered her because union leaders often granted scholarships to outside universities; yet, her scholarship program took a back seat. Most of the time, the people who were granted union scholarships do not contribute to the labor movement. (26:21-30:33)... Although her activities decreased at a certain point after retirement, she continued to take up issues with the union. She was not a "yes man" and, unlike other people, she refused to just get along with the system as it was. In spite of the union's opposition to her activities while she was an active member, she made a living. In general, she wanted to stop working in the shop, but did not want to retire from the union. She wanted to further her efforts at establishing the educational program at Louart. There was not another shop that offered more programs for the workers; it was a replica of the union itself. She believed that her retirement would mean the end of these programs because the union was threatened by a shop having so much power. In fact, as soon as she retired these programs dissolved. (30:33-43:32)... Even though she was basically forced to retire, she did not expect anyone to feel sorry for her. She is often disgusted when she goes into the union office today because people now are so nice to her. Her main allies were the rank and file of the union, but the administration was never supportive of her efforts. She believes that Miller did not support most of her measures because, like everyone else, she was protecting her position within the union. When she left her position as Chairwoman at Louart, she wanted someone to take her place who supported her ideas so that what she built up was not destroyed. She believes that the workers were important at this shop, but when she left they became nothings again. This is reflective of the way the union has changed since its inception. She believes it is now a big business. end of tape File: lhgwsrozner38.mp3 (0:00-1:05)... This segment is a continuation of Rozner's attitudes towards her union activities. In general, she believes that her involvement with the union was a struggle, but a very interesting part of her life. Under the same circumstances, however, she would not want to live her life over again if she had the opportunity. (1:05-8:05)... She believes that changes occur both mechanically and scientifically every day, and provides a very lengthy example from her experience at Hart, Schaffner, and Marx. At this shop she had a very good relationship with one of the shop managers who allowed her to counsel him on how to treat the workers so that production would rise. In contrast, when she went to work for Louart in 1939 and attempted to organize workers there, the manufacturer physically threatened her. (8:05-13:41)... In 1920, the union changed the way it treated the rank and file; and not all of the workers agreed on union settlements. In the beginning, the union had fighters, such as Frank Rosenblum and Sam Levine, but then their fighting mentality deteriorated. She believes that the union will be a good system eventually. (13:41-19:44)... She once contemplated what she would do with the workers if she had the power to take over industry. She admits that she would not give them freedom to do what they wanted; rather, she would advocate education and training for the workers, which is what she was trying to do while working at Louart. It is her hope that people will learn the responsible way of conducting themselves for the benefit of the majority, not just for themselves. In general, she would instruct workers to produce a certain amount of product for their community and when they are finished, their time is their own. long pause (19:44-30:39)... She does not believe the union could have maintained its original vision of workers control within the current capitalistic society. Although she describes the clothing industry as an insignificant sector, it was responsible for teaching other industries how to organize and unionize. However, the clothing industry is now behind the other industries. She does resent the way the union has changed, but there is nothing she can do influence new policies. The process of evolution will bring about a revolution in the labor movement. The union is as responsive to the rank and file as humanly possible. She believes that the early leadership she worked under was good to the rank and file. These leaders expected their Business Agents to be committed to the union and to devote all of their time to union activities. (30:39-42:04)... She describes herself as an idealist, and advocated that the union return to its original premise. The union supports a capitalistic system by not allowing workers to have control of their production, and union leaders do not challenge this system. She believes that it will not last forever and that the day will come when it crumbles. Although this does not guarantee that things will get better in the labor movement, things will eventually change in this system. It is her prognosis that within the next twenty-five years, society will change and the world will be a better place to live because progress is an inevitable process of evolution. End of tape.
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