Clara Lemlich

**Clara Lemlich Shavelson** (March 28, 1886 - July 12, 1982) was a Jewish, Ukrainian labor activist. She helped organize the shirtwaist workers strike called the "Uprising of 20,000."

## Early life

Clara Lemlich was born on March 28, 1886 in Gorodok, Ukraine. Lemlich’s parents were very religious Jews, which brought Clara into some tough situations later in life. In her early life Lemlich experienced many occurrences of Anti-Jew violence, as well as lack of education opportunities just because of her religion and gender. After being denied admission to a public school in Gorodok because she was Jewish, her parents banned her from reading, listening, or seeing anything Russian. Even though she had these restrictions, Lemlich continued to read these Russian books and continued to educate herself.

As a child Lemlich experienced the many struggles of people living under the Russian Monarchy.  Lemlich and her family fled Ukraine in 1903, and they worked very hard to find jobs and a new home. Many immigrants had a hard time finding jobs and having money, so many just joined the manufacturing workforce. Lemlich worked to make shirtwaists in unbelievable conditions with a very low wage. Shocked by this sexist environment, Lemlich joined the Uprising of 20,000 (also known as The New York shirtwaist strike of 1909), a strike against sexism in the workplace, horrible working conditions, unfair pay and hours, and much more. She continued to inspire many people, becoming a very important women's suffrage activist.

In 1905, her family decided to move to The United States of America, specifically New York City. Lemlich decided she would be a passionate and fiery socialist with many opinions. Once in the states, Lemlich followed in the path of many other immigrants in need of work and joined a shirt and dress factory. Lemlich was very appalled by the horrid conditions of that factory and wrote about how the conditions for Men and Women were completely different, and the women were always given the worse option. She wrote about how the wage gap was insanely unfair, how the better work stations were given to men, and how the hours she worked and the amount she got paid were completely unfair. Lemlich decided to lead a strike, called The Uprising of 20,000 (or The New York shirtwaist strike of 1909) to strike against unbelievable unfair situations in the workplace.

After this very well known strike, Lemlich became very well known. This led to many people having very mixed feelings about her. Although she did receive some hate because of her opinions, it never stopped Lemlich from doing what she believed was right. She continued being a socialist, and fought for many other important things, as well as helping to found and sustain the Wage Earner's League for Woman Suffrage.

In 1913, Lemlich married printer's union activist Joe Shavelson, and proceeded to have 3 kids. In 1926, Lemlich joined the Communist Party USA, where she worked to create The United Council of Working Class Housewives, helping organize people and getting funding for many more strikes yet to come. Through the age of 58 Lemlich continued to speak at protests and strikes, about many topics including Women's Suffrage and Nuclear Weapons.

## Recognition

After retiring from the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), was awarded two honorary stipends by ILGWU president David Dubinsky.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Clara Lemlich Shavelson
- **image**: Clara  Lemlich 1910.jpg
- **caption**: Clara Lemlich circa 1910
- **birth name**: Clara Lemlich
- **birth date**: March 28, 1886
- **occupation**: Union organizer, suffragist, activist