Pesotta, Rose Audio-Visual Materials, 0000-2999
Collection Number: 5928 AV

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Rose Pesotta Audio-Visual Materials, 0000-2999
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5928 AV
Abstract:
Rose Pesotta's video collection including Goodyear strikes, parade footage, parties, and other miscellaneous union gatherings
Creator:
Pesotta, Rose
Quanitities:
2.5 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English

Biographical / Historical

Born Rakhel Peisoty in Derazhnia, Ukraine in 1896 to grain merchants, Pesotta was well educated and influenced by the Narodnaya Volya (People's Will), and eventually adopted anarchist views.
Pesotta emigrated to New York City at the age of 17 (1913), and found employment in a shirtwaist factory, she joined the ILGWU very soon after. The ILGWU was a union that represented mostly Jewish and Latina female garment workers. She was elected to the all male executive board of ILGWU Local 25 in 1920. Pesotta went to Brookwood Labor College for two years in the 1920s.
In 1933 the union sent her to Los Angeles to organize the garment workers there. The organizing of the Mexican immigrant garment workers lead to the Los Angeles Garment workers Strike of 1933. As a result of this success, she was made vice-president of the union in 1934.
In 1944, she resigned from the executive board of the union in protest of the fact that, despite 85% of the union's memebership were women, she was the sole female executive member.
Rose Pesotta died in 1965.
CHRONOLOGY
1896 Born in Derazhnya, Russia, November 20
1909-12 Attended Rosalia Davidoffs private girls' School
1913 Arrived in USA with her grandmother
1914 Joined Local 25, ILGWU
1914-24 Worked as a seamstress
1919 Theodore Kushnarev deported to Russia
Father dies in Derazhnya
1922 Attended Bryn Mawr summer school
Researched Sacco-Vanzetti case for Local 25
1924-26 Attended Brookwood Labor College
1926-33 Worked as a seamstress in NYC
1930 Attended Wisconsin summer school
1933 Organized in Los Angeles for ILGWU
1934 Elected Vice-President of ILGWU
Sent to Puerto Rico to organize seamstresses
1935 Organized in Seattle
Organized in Buffalo
1936 Organized rubber workers in Akron
Began involvement with Powers Hapgood
Organized in Montreal
1937 Organized auto workers in Flint for CIO
Returned to Montreal to organize
Reelected to second term as vice president
Slashed by razor during Cleveland Knitting Mill Strike
1942 Vacation in Mexico
1944 Resigned as ILGWU vice president
Published "Bread Upon the Waters"
1945 Worked for Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith
1946 Traveled to Norway, Sweden, Poland
Resigned from ADL and returned to New York City as a seamstress
1949 Worked as Midwest regional director for the American Trade Union Council of the Histadrut
Death of Powers Hapgood
1950 Visited Europe and Israel
1955 Married Albert Martin (Frank Lopez)
1958 Published "Days of Our Lives"
1965 Died in Miami, Florida on December 6
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Conditions Governing Use

This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Preferred Citation

Rose Pesotta Audio-Visual Materials #5928 AV. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

Related Materials

Related Collections: 5928: Elaine Leeder Collection of Rose Pesotta Papers 5928 P: Rose Pesotta Photographs 6036/027: Elaine Leeder "The Gentle Warrior: Rose Pesotta, Anarchist and Labor Organizer" Dissertation

SUBJECTS

Names:
Pesotta, Rose, 1896-1965.
B'nai B'rith. Anti-defamation League.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Subjects:
Labor disputes--United States.
Labor unions--United States.
Labor movement--United States.
Working class--United States.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Box 4 1
Goodyear Strike
Scope and Contents
Blurb by Rose Pesotta; shots of workers and Firestone supporters; Rose Pesotta visiting strikers; Ukulele on tent, Rose Pesotta and strikers singing. VHS copy of film no.1
Box 4 2
Goodyear II Akron
Scope and Contents
Strike headquarters; Bakers; Outside agitators; Rose Pesotta and Union management Krzycki; Akron Armory, strike over, officers of International, Workers on strike; Enter diners; Cars, snow; Outside agitators introduced. VHS copy of film no.2
Box 4 3
Brookwood, Bryn Mawr, Hudson Shore
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.3
Box 4 4
Grand Canyon
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.4
Box 4 5
Labor Day Parade
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.5
Box 4 6
Cutters Picnic/Halloween Party, Organizing Los Angeles?
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.6
Box 4 7
Organizing?
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.7
Box 4 8
Boston
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.8
Box 4 9
Unity House-Hook Mt. Excursion
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.9
Box 4 10
Loquino Long Beach Valentine Party
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.10
Box 4 11
Mt. Royal
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.11
Box 4 12
Niagara Falls, Atlantic City, etc.
Scope and Contents
VHS copy of film no.12
Box 4 13
Rose Pesotta #7
Scope and Contents
Possibly as second VHS copy of film no.7, "Organizing"
Box 4 14
Unlabeled Tape
Scope and Contents
Lists 12 segments by time stamp. This may be all 12 films on one VHS cassette.
Box 5 1
Goodyear Strike
Scope and Contents
Blurb by Rose Pesotta; shots of workers and Firestone supporters; Rose Pesotta visiting strikers; Ukulele on tent, Rose Pesotta and strikers singing. Original film no.1
Box 5 2
Goodyear II Akron
Scope and Contents
Strike headquarters; Bakers; Outside agitators; Rose Pesotta and Union management Krzycki; Akron Armory, strike over, officers of International, Workers on strike; Enter diners; Cars, snow; Outside agitators introduced. Original film no.2
Box 5 3
Brookwood, Bryn Mawr, Hudson Shore
Scope and Contents
Original film no.3
Box 5 4
Grand Canyon
Scope and Contents
Original film no.4
Box 5 5
Labor Day Parade
Scope and Contents
Original film no.5
Box 5 6
Cutters Picnic/Halloween Party, Organizing Los Angeles?
Scope and Contents
Original film no.6
Box 6 7
Organizing?
Scope and Contents
Original film no.7
Box 6 8
Boston
Scope and Contents
Original film no.8
Box 6 9
Unity House-Hook Mt. Excursion
Scope and Contents
Original film no.9
Box 6 10
Loquino Long Beach Valentine Party
Scope and Contents
Original film no.10
Box 6 11
Mt. Royal
Scope and Contents
Original film no.11
Box 6 12
Niagara Falls, Atlantic City, etc.
Scope and Contents
Original film no.12