Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
IMMIGRANT GIRL
NOW HEADS UNION
Rose Schneiderman Rises to
Post From Humble Job
in Department Store.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

Facing the reality of life as an err
rand girl in one Of New Yorks large
department stores, when but 13 years
CT age. receiving salary of $2.l2 a
week was the beginning Of the liberal
education received by Miss Rose Schnei-
ierman, president of the National Wom-
ems Trade Union League of America.
Miss Schneiderman Is amply qualified
TO work for the betterment of indus
trial conditions among women, as
through personal experience she has
suffered the grinding toll of an 11-hour
working day, receiving barely living
wage in stores and shops. which made
no pretence toward offering employees
physical comforts which might have
made existence a trif1e more bearable.
Accompanying her parents to this
country from Russia, when child of
seven, not speaking a word of English
at the time, Miss Schneiderman was
obliged to go TO work six years later
upon the death of her father. and help
her widowed mother support the family,
which consisted of herself and three
younger children.
Went to Work as Child.
"I found work in one department
store" Miss Schneiderman relates,
starting at $212 a week. The II cents
was for the washing of an ugly blue
apron that the errand girls were obliged
to wear. At that time, my lunch al
lowance was 6 cents day. / was 13
years old and all permitted myself for
lunch was a scent sandwich and an
apple or orange for which paid a
penny. I started work at 8 o'clock in
the morning and worked until 6 o'clock,
except on Saturdays and Christmas ewes,
when I stayed in the store until IL
o'clock At times I was so tired as a
child that could scarcely drag myself
home at night.
Looking at the tiny woman. not five
feet tall, with a gentle expression I'M
touched by the bitterness Of her ex-
perience. one is forced to marvel at
the spirit lying behind the personality
which has so bravely conquered I'M
believable hardships of life. Listening
TO her tell her story in a well modu-
lated voice, using a choice of words
which bespeaks a scholarly command
of the English Language, the question
was asked, when and where did you
receive your education?"
Principally from books" Miss
Schneiderman replied. When I was
a child, reading was about the only
recreation offered to children. I read
all the time-in fact, so much so, that
my mother told me if I did not stop
reading when I was at home, she
would burn my books some day"
Experience in Work.
ain addition to books" she continued,
IT have received a marvellous expert
ence in the labor movement, helping
women and men to live decent lives
and do away with some of the evils of
their lives"
Miss Schneiderman worked three
years In the New York department
store, receiving a raise from the original
$2f2 a week to $2.75 a week, when
promoted to the position of salesgirl
Realizing there were no future possibili-
ties CT advancement. she left the store
and entered a factory, which manu-
featured mems cloth caps. They were
paid by the piece in this factory, and
were obliged to buy their own ma
chimes; as well as furnish the thread
But despite this fact. the girls were
able to earn at least SIS a week, which
was an improvement over the wages
received as SaleSgirl.
One OF the tragic circumstances sur
rounding the life of the factory worker
OF that day Is told by Miss Schneider
man.
81 had worked in the factory two
years when the shop burned down and
we all lost our machines which most
OF us had just paid for. The head of
the concern received over half million
collars insurance, but the laborerS did
not receive one cent and were obliged
to buy new machines in order to con-
tinue working"
Began Organization.
It was while working in the cap fac
tory that Miss Schneiderman first con-
ceived the idea of organizing the wom-
en- workers of the industry.
I'VE were doing exactly the same
work as the men, who were organized"
she said, but our wages were much
smaller and our hours much longer.
On Saturdays, when the men had but
half day of work, we were obliged to
stay all day. Every time an increase in
wages would be given the men, our
wages were cut accordingly"
1t took but few months to organize
the first union among the women and
the result of the organization was ap-
preciated Immediately by women re-
ceiving a compliance to their demand
for half-Saturday work.
From that beginning has grown and
spread the National Women's Trade
Union League of America, which has
brought benefits to woman industrial