DARE: The Direct Action for Rights in Employment
by the CWLU Herstory Editorial Committee
(We have photos of DARE activities in our Gallery
Section)
Grassroots working class organizing was an important part of the CWLU's
work. As socialist-feminists, the CWLU believed that a progressive working
class political movement was essential to transforming American society.
Focusing their efforts on working class women, DARE sought to organize
women at workplaces across the city.
DARE's most successful activity was its steadfast support
of the Chicago City Hall janitresses. These women, who cleaned up after
Chicago's most prominent politicians, made less than men for harder
work. Subjected to demeaning racial and gender discrimination, they
were denied fair advancement opportunities.
Led
by a janitress named Susan Bates, the janitresses worked with DARE
and the CWLU to publicize their situation and bring suit under the
Fair Employment Practices Act. Allying with the City Hall janitresses
brought the CWLU into direct confrontation with the powerful Mayor
Richard J. Daley political machine. After a long and difficult struggle,
the City Hall janitresses won the campaign.
DARE
also published a newspaper called Secret Storm( not to be confused
with a newspaper of the same name published by the Outreach Committee)
which publicized struggles at Stewart-Warner, Campbell's Soup, and
other Chicago workplaces. Stewart-Warner was a large auto parts plant
on Chicago's Northside, which had a core of union activists who were
challenging both the company owners and the conservative leadership
of their union. Like many plants of that time, there was widespread
gender and racial discrimination in pay and promotions. At Campbell's
Soup, women workers fought for plant-wide seniority and an end to dual
seniority lists, both of which were clearly gender discriminatory.
DARE
members were also present at the founding convention of the Coalition
of Labor Union Women(CLUW) and were active in its local Chicago chapter.
CLUW attempted to unite trade union women, a difficult task because
of deep divisions in the AFL-CIO between union bureaucrats and rank & file as well as the divisions among unions.
Reflecting
upon their experience in DARE, former members recall the intense
effort put into the group as well as the immensity of the tasks that
they took on. Working class organizing is often a slow frustrating
process of small victories and many heartbreaking defeats. DARE was
no exception.
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