Kate Mullany

Kate Mullany (1845-1906) was an early female labor leader who started the all-women Collar Laundry Union in Troy, New York in February 1864. It was one of the first women's unions that lasted longer than the resolution of a specific issue. [http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/travel/pwwmh/ny18.htm Kate Mullaney biography at the National Park Service government web site] . Accessed February 4, 2008.] [http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=113 National Women's Hall of Fame official web site] . Accessed February 4, 2008.]

Kate Mullany, an Irish immigrant who, with her co-workers Esther Keegan and Sarah McQuillan, organized approximately 300 women into the first sustained female union in the country, the Collar Laundry Union, in 1864. Mullany went on to be its president and was elected second vice-president of the National Labor Union.

Only 19 years at the time, Mullany led a successful 6-day strike in 1864 to increase wages and improve working conditions. [http://www.wiawaka.org/mullaney.html Wiawaka Women's Camp web site] . Accessed February 4, 2008.] [http://www.katemullanynhs.org/ Kate Mullany House organization official web site] . Accesssed February 4, 2008/] She died in 1906 and was buried in Troy, New York. [http://www.katemullanynhs.org/grave Kate Mullany House organization official web site Grave web page] . Accesssed February 4, 2008/]

The Kate Mullany House, at 350 8th Street in Troy, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1998,citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/98000453.pdf National Historic Landmark Nomination—Kate Mullany House] |864 KB|author=Page Putnam Miller, Jill S. Mesirow, Andrew Laas, John W. Bond, and Rachel Bliven |date=September 4, 1997|publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/98000453.pdf Accompanying 2 photos, from 1994.] |493 KB] and became a National Historic Site in 2008.

In 2000, Mullany was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. She has been honored by the New York State Senate, [http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sws/wod/lb_mullany.html NY Senate Women's Heritage Month web site] . Accessed February 4, 2008.] and her home is on the Women's Heritage Trail. [http://www.heritageny.gov/women/sites.cfm?id=156&topic=women Women's Heritage Trail official web site] . Accessed February 4, 2008.]

ee also

* Kate Mullany House
* Collar Laundry Union
* Troy, New York
* National Women's Hall of Fame

References

External links

* [http://www.pef.org/katemullaney.htm The Kate Mullany story at the Public Employees Federation web site]
* [http://connectedkids.sbrl.rpiscrews.us/TroyArtHistory/TroyInnovations/innovators/mullany/index.html Connect Kids to Troy History]
* America's Working Women: A Documentary History, 1600 to the Present By Rosalyn Baxandall, Linda Gordon, Susan Reverby Published 1995 W. W. Norton & Company 356 pages ISBN 0393312623 found at [http://books.google.com/books?id=9qzWvhNZ5pMC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=%22kate+mullany%22&source=web&ots=oPc59LLark&sig=xJZ27YgAyL-3FjcOr-Ln0DecjnI]