ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), Working Women United Institute Records
Collection Number: /4354/003
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Title:
ILR School Extension Division
Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), Working Women United Institute
Records, 1975- 1986
Collection Number:
/4354/003
Creator:
Working Women United
Institute;
New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations (NYSSILR);
New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations (NYSSILR);
Quantity:
1 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Records (documents).
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and
Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
This collection consists of organizational records,
information on programs and publications, research studies, legal briefs,
publications, handouts and examples of policy. These records were created and or
collected by the Working Women's Institute (predecessor organization's name: Working
Women United) between 1975 and 1986. Working Women's Institute is recognized for
publicizing and researching the widespread problem of sexual harassment in the
workplace.
Language:
Collection material in English
Working Women's Institute was originally founded as Working Women's United in June
1975. The organization was founded by Cornell University faculty members as an
independent institute with the goal of researching and publicizing the wide-spread
problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. The organization relocated from
Ithaca to New York City in 1977 and changed their name to Working Women's Institute
in 1978. Working Women's Institute was a recognized leader in the fight against
sexual harassment.
Founding organizers, Karen Sauvigne, Susan Meyer and Lin Farley worked at the Women's
Section of Cornell University's Human Affairs Program (HAP) in 1975 when they were
approached by Carmita Wood. After years of harassment by her boss, Carmita Wood
resigned from her position at Cornell University and was denied unemployment
benefits. She met with the staff at HAP to tell them her story. The women decided to
help her, but first they had to find a name for Carmita's experience. The group
settled on the term "sexual harassment." As a direct result from their experience
with Carmita, the group formed Working Women United and decided to host an event
bringing women together to, "Speak Out," about their own experiences with sexual
harassment in the workplace.
Lin Farley was the director of Cornell University's Women's Section and a lecturer
for a course called Women and Work. She is recognized for coining the phrase,
"sexual harassment," and testified in 1975 before the New York City Human Rights
Commission Hearings on Women and Work. Farley is the author of Sexual Shakedown: The
Sexual Harassment of Women on the Job.
Karen Sauvigne is a recognized pioneer for her work on sexual harassment. She has
gone on to hold faculty and management positions at CUNY Law School, John Jay
College and Baruch College. She is currently the Director of Education in the
Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai.
KC Wagner is a former Director of the Working Women's Institute. She is the current
Director of Workplace Issues at Cornell University's ILR School and the co-chair of
The Worker Institute's Equity at Work Initiative at Cornell University. She has
testified as an expert witness in landmark sexual harassment cases on a range of
topics.
Bulk dates: 1975-1986
Inclusive date range: 1975-1986
The collection consists of meeting minutes, research proposals, publications, program
reports and event details related to the Working Women's Institute (WWI) and its
efforts to bring attention to the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. The
collection also contains correspondence between WWI staff and the Women's Alliance
for Job Equity (WAJE) and the United Nation's Ad Hoc Group on Equal Rights for
Women. In addition, the collection includes examples of sexual harassment policies
from a number of colleges and universities including Rutgers University,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Pennsylvania and Columbia
University. The collection also includes news clippings about sexual harassment.
Working Women's United was founded as an independent institute to provide resources
to women to conduct research, educational and legal projects broadly relating to the
needs and interests of working women. This collection includes documents related to
the 1975 Speak Out event held in Ithaca, NY and organized by WWI founders Lin
Farley, Karen Sauvigne and Susan Meyer. Correspondence between the organizers
clarifies the role that each played regarding the Speak Out event and Board of
Directors Minutes detail the rights of use as they relate to the Speak Out
Testimony.
The collection contains detailed program reports documenting the efforts of the
Working Women's Institute as well as examples of their publications, handouts, and
flyers. Also included are detailed speakers notes, promotional flyers and posters
for the "Sexual Harassment on College Campuses" workshop hosted by Rutgers
University in 1982. Additionally, the collection includes letters, briefs and press
releases related to Supreme Court case 477 U.S. 57 (1986), Meritor Savings Bank vs
Mechelle Vinson. This case was the first of its kind to reach the U.S. Supreme Court
and would redefine sexual harassment in the workplace. In a 9-0 decision, the Court
recognized sexual harassment as a violation of the Civil Rights act of 1964.
The collection includes pamphlets about and policies related to the issue of sexual
harassment in the workplace; newspaper clippings and correspondence between WWI and
Women's Alliance for Job Equity (WAJE); United Nations Ad Hoc Group on Equal Rights
for Women; and, the Federal Government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's
(EEOC) proposed amendment to add sexual harassment to its guidelines on sexual
discrimination.
PROVENANCE:
This collection was originally located at the Barnard Center for Research on Women
(or earlier, the Women's Center). The records were donated by KC Wagner, Cornell
faculty and member of the Working Women's Institute. The Barnard Center for Research
on Women maintained a large feminist ephemera collection, a collection of
periodicals, parts of their own institutional records, and some additional special
research collections in their office. After its closing, the majority of their
materials were transferred to the Barnard Archives. The Working Women's Institute
Records were one of these collections. They were held by the Barnard Archives, but
never accessioned into their collection. The records were returned to KC Wagner at
her request for deposit at the Kheel Center in November 2018.
Collection processed by intern Sarah Tronkowski, under the supervision of the
Technical Services Archivist, as part of the requirements for receipt of a Masters
of Library Science.
This collection was originally located at the Barnard Center for Research on Women
(or earlier, the Women's Center). The records were donated by KC Wagner, Cornell
faculty and member of the Working Women's Institute. The Barnard Center for Research
on Women maintained a large feminist ephemera collection, a collection of
periodicals, parts of their own institutional records, and some additional special
research collections in their office. After its closing, the majority of their
materials were transferred to the Barnard Archives. The Working Women's Institute
Records were one of these collections. They were held by the Barnard Archives, but
never accessioned into their collection. The records were returned to KC Wagner at
her request for deposit at the Kheel Center in November 2018.
Names:
Farley, Lin
Cohen, Marilyn
Crull, Peggy, Phd
Robinowitz, Robin
Wagner, KC
New York State School of Industrial and Labor
Relations
New York State School of Industrial and Labor
Relations. Metropolitan District Office
Cornell University
Cornell University. Human Affairs Program
United States. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
Meritor Savings Bank
Ad Hoc Group on Equal Rights for Women
Women's Alliance for Job Equity (WAJE)
Working Women's Institute
Subjects:
Sexual harassment in universities and colleges -
United States
Sexual harassment.
Sex role in the work environment.
Form and Genre Terms:
Records (documents)
Access Restrictions:
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a
reference archivist for access to these materials.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet
and Procedures for Document Use.
Cite As:
ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.),
Working Women United Institute Records #/4354/003. Kheel Center for
Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections:
/3099m: ILR School Proposal for a Working Women's Institute for Research and Education
/3099: ILR School Working Women's Institute Files
/4354/010: ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), KC Wagner Papers
/4354/010 MB: ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), KC Wagner Memorabilia Collection
/4354/010 AV: ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), KC Wagner Audio-Visual Training Materials
53-29-4281: Cornell University Human Affairs Program records, 1969-1977
/3099m: ILR School Proposal for a Working Women's Institute for Research and Education
/3099: ILR School Working Women's Institute Files
/4354/010: ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), KC Wagner Papers
/4354/010 MB: ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), KC Wagner Memorabilia Collection
/4354/010 AV: ILR School Extension Division Metropolitan District Office (New York, N.Y.), KC Wagner Audio-Visual Training Materials
53-29-4281: Cornell University Human Affairs Program records, 1969-1977
|
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
|
This series contains the organization's founding documents, correspondence
between founding members and its organizational structure. Annual audits of
programming provide a look at ongoing projects, priorities and research.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 1 | 1975 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 2 | 1975-1976 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 3 | 1976-1977 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 | 1978 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 | 1978-1980 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 | 1981-1985 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 | 1980 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 | 1982-1983 | |
|
This series contains research proposals, reports, newsletters, handouts and a
legal materials checklist produced by WWI. The series also contains records
about a "Sexual Harassment on College Campuses" workshop hosted by Rutgers
University and an amicus brief written in support of Mechelle Vincent for
the Supreme Court Case, Meritor vs. Vincent. Attorneys for the WWI as Amicus
Curiae are Laurie E. Foster and Ellen M. Saideman of the law firm Lord, Day
and Lord.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | 1975 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | 1975 | |
|
Format: Newsletter
|
|||
|
Results of Preliminary Survey.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 10 | 1976 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1978-1983 | |
|
Format: Newsletter
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1978 | |
|
Format: Newsletter
|
|||
|
Research Report No.2, WWI, Fall 1978.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1979 | |
|
Format: Publication
|
|||
|
Testimony.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1978 | |
|
Format: Publication
|
|||
|
A Profile of the Experiences of 92 Women.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1981 | |
|
Format: Newsletter
|
|||
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A Comprehensive Bibliography: Addendum.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1981 | |
|
Format: Publication
|
|||
|
Peggy Crull.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1979 | |
|
Format: Pamphlet
|
|||
|
Statement of support.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1979 | |
|
Format: Pamphlet
|
|||
|
Comprehensive Bibliography.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1978 | |
|
Format: Pamphlet
|
|||
|
Questions and Answers.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1981 | |
|
Format: Newsletter
|
|||
|
A list of people conducting research on sexual harassment.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | ||
|
Format: Publication
|
|||
|
Peggy Crull, Marilyn Cohen.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1983 | |
|
Format: Publication
|
|||
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To appear in Double Exposure: Women's Health Hazards on the Job and
at Home.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1983 | |
|
Format: Text
|
|||
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Interviews with 69 Women, Peggy Crull.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1983 | |
|
Format: Text
|
|||
|
Peggy Crull.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1981 | |
|
Format: Text
|
|||
|
The effects of sexual harassment are varied and severe.
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 12 | 1978-1983 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 | 1980-1981 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 | 1980-1982 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 15 | 1982 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 | 1984 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 | 1985-1986 | |
|
This series contains news clippings that feature Working Women's Institute
and their staff; sexual harassment; and, changes to sexual harassment policy
at federal and state levels. Correspondence between the WWI and the Women's
Alliance for Job Equity (WAJE), and between the WWI and the U.N.'s Ad Hoc
Group on Equal Rights for Women may be found in this series. The series also
includes handouts and guides regarding sexual harassment in the workplace as
well as additional amicus briefs and requests for information. Examples of
sexual harassment policy from a number of colleges and universities are also
included in this series.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 18 | 1975-1986 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 | 1977 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 | 1978 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 21 | 1979 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 22 | 1979-1986 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 23 | 1980-1981 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 24 | 1980 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 25 | 1981 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 26 | 1980-1984 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 27 | 1981-1985 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 28 | 1982 | |