Got Feb. issue after Jan. rally


To the Editor: I receivedmy February Communicator today,


January 30, which was the first and only time I knew anything about the Save our Services Rally inAlbany, which was, um, yes - YESTERDAY. I heard nothing about it frommy local


stewards (I generally hear nothing fromthem about anything, and over the years and a revolving door of stewards I have received no support when I had challenging situations or asked for guidance, often being told that nothing would happen if I lodged a complaint and to just get over it andmove on.). Now I seemy dues of 33 years donʼt even allow for a newsletter to arrive with news that is actually usable. The environment at work is toxic. As amember I feel uninformed and


unsupported, and now I canʼt even count onmy newsletter to provide information in a timely manner. Donʼt expectmembers to turn out for a rally


if we don't know about it until after it has occurred. I amunaware of any substantive changes in


By DEBORAH A. MILES In March, the Irish celebrate their


heritage, and often remember the trailblazing roles people of Irish descent played in labor history. The Irish were essentially the first


ethnic group of people to carve a place in American society. They arrived in mass with grim determination during the height of the Great Famine (1845-1851), which killed more than a million people and caused over a million more to flee from their homeland. By 1900, an estimated 5 million first- and second-generation Irish lived in the U.S. - more than in Ireland itself. The Irish developed defensive strategies


and built organizations and institutions, notably the Catholic diocese structure, the urban Democratic machine and the city labor movement. They proved to be masters at transforming everyday relations in extended families, neighborhoods and workplaces into institutions that afforded them economic, social, cultural and political power. Notably, they made a mark in labor


history. Kate Mullany, dubbed “Kate the Great,”


arrived in the U.S. at the height of the Irish famine. Her father had died, so she became the breadwinner of the family, taking care of her mother, brother and three sisters. They ended up in Troy, NY when she was 19 years old and worked 14-hour days in a laundry. The immigrant girls earned a couple


Page 2— The Communicator March 2014


member benefits, support, or representation with our new “leadership.” I have two specific requests: 1. I would like to receive an


acknowledgement (not an auto-reply) that this message was received and read; 2. I would like to know if the leadership of


PEF (notmy local reps) have received this message and, if not, how I can correspond with themdirectly. I amnot on Facebook or Twitter, and I amnot interested in posting a comment in the box on the PEF website. Thank you.


DONNAPOLEN Fairport


Editor’s Note: The February issue of The


Communicatorwas mailed January 27. It was available online January 24.


The rally was promoted on both the front


page and the back page of the December- January issue, as well as pages 4, 5 and 7 of that issue. The rally also was on the cover of the


November issue and in the president’s message on page 7. The rally was widely promoted on the PEF


website for months in advance. It also was promoted several times in the PEF Information


of dollars a week for washing, boiling, rubbing and rinsing shirts and properly starching their collars. Mullany


Women at work in Cluett-Peabody Factory, 1890s.Troy,NY.


eventually formed the all-female Collar Starchers’ Union, believed to be the first women’s labor


union in the U.S. She led 300 women on a strike, demanding higher wages and better working conditions, which the owners of the laundry agreed was fair. After the successful strike, Mullany


became president of the union and was elected second vice-president of the National Labor Union. She stood side-by- side with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the top advocates for women’s rights during that time. Mullany was 61-years old when she died. The Kate Mullany House in Troy was


declared a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and a National Historic Site in 2008. Mullany was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and has been honored by the NYS Senate. James Connolly, born to Irish parents


in the poorest neighborhood in Edinburgh, Scotland, grew up to focus on organizing labor in Ireland and America. Connolly left Ireland in 1903 and also ended up in Troy, joining the Socialist


Line message. This letter was immediately shared with PEF


leaders as are all letters to The Communicator. This letter also was forwarded to the writer’s


regional coordinator. No “auto replies” are ever sent in response


to correspondence to The Communicator. PEF leaders have publicly stated, including


at the PEF convention, they recognize the toll retirements, state consolidations, mergers, closures and reorganizations are having on the union at all levels, and it is a PEF priority to build strong divisions and to fill steward vacancies promptly.PEF is ready to help any divisions that want to become more active and better organized. Members may write to PEF statewide


officers, or to PEF departments and staff at P.O. Box 12414, Albany, NY 12212-2414, or they may email officers or staff (first initial, last name@pef.org) or simply call the union at 800- 342-4306. The names of officers and regional


coordinators are always published on page 3 of


The Communicator, as are the toll-free phone numbers for all of the PEF field offices. Email your ideas, comments to thecommunicator@pef.org


Irish-Americans played significant role in labor movement


Labor Party (SLP). He fought for wage increases for its members who resisted, and told him an increase would be nullified by price increases in goods. He worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, but openly supported Mullany and the striking workers, despite the fact the strikers could no longer pay him for their insurance. His support and sacrifice of income was all about human dignity. Connolly returned to Ireland to organize


labor. He became one of the seven leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising that eventually led to Ireland’s independence. Another noteworthy Irish-American


labor leader was Terence Vincent Powderly. As a young teen, he worked on the railroad, later became a machinist, and in 1871 joined the Machinists and Blacksmiths national union and became president. Three years later, Powderly joined the


Knights of Labor. It developed into the largest and most influential force in the American labor movement. Under his direction, the Knights of Labor reached its peak of power in 1886 with 1 million members. The union faltered along with the entire labor movement as working conditions became harsh. At the turn of the century, the movement recovered with the appearance of the American Federation of Labor, where Powderly spent his last working years. Visit the Irish American Heritage


Museum’s website, www.irish-us.org, to learn more.


PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


ROOTS OF STRUGGLE


IDEAS FROM MEMBERS


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