Sisters and Brothers:
I can think of no better way to recognize and celebrate Women’s History Month than to look at the progress women have made in our country, and to celebrate all women for their accomplishments.
Women have made great strides in so many ways that we take pride in. We have gone from a time when women had to struggle and some tragically died to earn the right to vote, to a time where a woman is now Vice President of the United States, sworn in by a female Supreme Court Justice.
Women have made great progress in workplaces. From a time when there were no women in leadership roles, to a time where women are now CEOs. In addition, much forward progress was made possible by women making advances through their unions. We celebrate women like Kate Mullany and the Collar Laundry Union she started in Troy, NY, after she went on strike to gain better working conditions and pay for women. Equality in the workplace has always been a strong focus of unions.
We celebrate the women in our own union who have made tremendous progress. As the second woman president of our union, I know first-hand about how hard women have had to work to achieve leadership roles. Throughout my years as an activist and leader, I have supported and seen many women rise to prominent roles in our union. I’m very proud that three of the four members of my leadership team of statewide officers are women.
Women have made great strides in politics. We see more women represented in elected positions, and women like Stacey Abrams in Georgia who are making major changes to the political landscape through their activism and advocacy.
As a union, we have always fought for equality for women in the workplace and beyond. While we celebrate the great accomplishments of women, not only the groundbreakers in their fields, we also celebrate all women, our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, and grandmothers. Those who have done the amazing work of raising families, strengthening their communities, and making strides each in their own way. We all have strong women in our families, our neighborhoods and our communities who we can admire and recognize during this month. Let’s make sure we do so.
In solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan, President
