Elaine Leeder Collection of Rose Pesotta Papers
Collection Number: 5928
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Title:
Elaine Leeder Collection of Rose Pesotta Papers, 1912-1961
Collection Number:
5928
Creator:
Pesotta, Rose
Leeder, Elaine
Quantity:
2 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Papers, correspondence,photographs, videotapes, motion pictures (visual works).
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
Correspondence, publications, photographs, and videotapes of Rose Pesotta, organizer for the International Ladies Garment
Workers Union.
Language:
Collection material in English
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.
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
Names:
Pesotta, Rose, 1896-
Leeder, Elaine J.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
B'nai B'rith. Anti-defamation League.
Subjects:
Labor disputes -- United States.
Labor unions -- United States.
Labor movement -- United States.
Working class -- United States.
Form and Genre Terms:
Papers
Correspondence
Photographs
Videotapes
Motion pictures (visual works)
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:
Elaine Leeder Collection of Rose Pesotta Papers #5928. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell
University Library.
Sub-Series A. Drafts of manuscripts
Sub-Series B. Pamphlets and Articles
Sub-Series C. Broadsides, Leaflets, Announcements
Sub-Series D. Newspaper clippings
Sub-Series B. Pamphlets and Articles
Sub-Series C. Broadsides, Leaflets, Announcements
Sub-Series D. Newspaper clippings
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Container
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Description
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Date
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Arranged in alphabetical order.
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| Box 1 | Folder 1 | 1943 | |
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Form letter from treasurer asking for support.
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| Box 1 | Folder 2 | 1954 | |
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Personal correspondence to "Albert and Rose."
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| Box 1 | Folder 3 | 1958 | |
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1 letter-untranslated.
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| Box 1 | Folder 4 | 1955 | |
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Holiday greetings.
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| Box 1 | Folder 5 | 1953 | |
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Personal.
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| Box 1 | Folder 6 | 1950 | |
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Personal correspondence on Joint Board; Millinery Workers letterhead
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| Box 1 | Folder 7 | 1940-1949 | |
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Personal and business correspondence. Dicsusses John L. Lewis broadcast, the CIO, FDR, Ford Strike (1941), organizing prudential
agents, Carlo Tresca murder, UAW membership, work on family farm and many other topics. Closes one
letter (1940) "my Rose of Akron and Flint." Also includes four page tribute by Rose Pesotta after his death in 1949
and newspaper clippings
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| Box 1 | Folder 8 | 1940-1949 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | 1940-1949 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 | 1940-1949 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1940-1949 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 | 1935-1943 | |
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Includes greeting card and miscellaneous
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| Box 1 | Folder 13 | 1958-1959 | |
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Miscellaneous
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| Box 1 | Folder 14 | 1951 | |
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Personal
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| Box 1 | Folder 15 | 1912-1925 | |
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Personal love letters to Rose after his deportment to Russia
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| Box 1 | Folder 16 | 1912-1926 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 | 1912-1927 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 | 1912-1928 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 | 1946-1959 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 | 1959 | |
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Miscellaneous
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| Box 1 | Folder 21 | ||
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Ticket - "Salute to A.P. Randolph," n.d.
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| Box 1 | Folder 22 | 1959 | |
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Memo from Pesotta with biographical information
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| Box 1 | Folder 23 | 1952 | |
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Personal
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| Box 1 | Folder 24 | 1951 | |
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Personal
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| Box 1 | Folder 25 | 1956 | |
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Personal
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| Box 1 | Folder 26 | 1954-1957 | |
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Note of thanks for her financial support; letter from Thomas requesting additional biographical information in order to write
an introduction for her book (1957).
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| Box 1 | Folder 27 | 1954 | |
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Greeting card
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| Box 1 | Folder 28 | 1955 | |
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Greeting card
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Rose Pesotta traveled to Poland, Norway and Sweden in 1946. She was invited by the Norwegian Labour Party to addres an International
Labor Institute on the labor and social situation in the U.S. She visited Poland to see the effects of
World War II. This series includes correspondence, manuscripts, notes and related pamphlets.
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| Box 1 | Folder 29 | 1946-1948 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 30 | ||
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Includes index cards with notes and addresses
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| Box 1 | Folder 31 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 32 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 33 | ||
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3 pages Anti-Semitism in Russia; 3 pages Prologue; 1 page David and his family
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| Box 1 | Folder 34 | ||
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75 pages
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| Box 1 | Folder 35 | ||
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13 pages
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| Box 1 | Folder 36 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 37 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 38 | ||
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5 pages description of her travels; 10 pages describing her visit to Norway and other manuscript drafts
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| Box 1 | Folder 39 | ||
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22 pages
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Rose Pesotta's writings
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| Box 1 | Folder 40 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 41 | ||
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Publications by others. Arranged alphabetically
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| Box 1 | Folder 42 | ||
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Beals, Carlton, "Rifle, Rule in Cuba"; Cox, James, "Hitler's Hatchet Man!" Dressmakers' Voice, December 1934; and others
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| Box 1 | Folder 43 | ||
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ILGWU, "The Communist Plague in Our Unions"
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| Box 1 | Folder 44 | ||
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Nash, Al, "The Shop Steward System"
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| Box 1 | Folder 45 | ||
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Articles by Walter Reuther; article by Sidney Solomon
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| Box 1 | Folder 46 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 47 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 48 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 49 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 50 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 51 | 1927-1961 | |
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Includes index and business cards with addresses
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| Box 1 | Folder 52 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 53 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 54 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 55 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 56 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 57 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 58 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 59 | ||
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Includes Pesotta's insurance cards, membership cards, identification and business cards
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| Box 7 | |||