Who was Clara Lemlich and what arguments did she make in favor of a general Strike?

 

Clara Lemlich was a strong and influential leader of the general strike that had caused the uprising by Shirtwaist workers in new York's garment industry. Lemlich was a Ukrainian born lady who had Immigrated into U.S.A with her family in 1903 following an anti Jewish riot in Kishinev. Upon arrival in United states, she was fortunate enough to find a job in the garment industry. The conditions in these industries were worse since employers demanded twice as much production as the employees produced. This prompted her to turn into becoming a leader of several strikes of shirtwaist makers mostly challenging the dominant male leadership of the union in organizing female workers.

In 1909,a mass meeting was held at cooper union where Clara Lemlich was at the limelight on her address to the meeting encouraging a general strike. After she had listened to a number of speakers who addressed the commonality of their challenges in work, she said that she had not gained any information addressing the next step that this workers were to follow. She referred to herself as the working girl who was about to strike due to intolerable conditions in work. By this argument she poisoned the minds of many workers boosting their morale to engage in a strike. In addition to this arguments she said that she was tired of listening to speakers who spoke in generalities and challenged that the purpose of that particular meeting was to decide on if to strike or not. She supported the motion that they were supposed to go out on a strike.

This short address was an expression of boldness that was needed to influence 20,000 of the 32,000 workers to engage in strike. Many workers from this moment engaged in striking after taking oaths of fidelity saying that, if i turn a traitor to the cause i now pledge, may this hand wither from the arm i now raise. Lemlich was an important leader being at the fore front leading workers out in a strike that lasted until February 10, 1910.