Rose Schneiderman, 1935-1945. Courtesy of the Kheel Center, Cornell University.
Rose Schneiderman, 1935-1945. Courtesy of the Kheel Center, Cornell University.
Known as a fiery speaker, Rose Schneiderman (1882-1972) was a garment worker, social reformer, and labor activist. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her - the only woman - to the Labor Advisory Board of the National Recovery Act (NRA). Established in 1933, the NRA regulated prices, labor relations, and trade practices to help America's economy recover during the Great Depression. The Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional in 1935. Schneiderman worked on many other issues during her long career and was a leading voice in reform and the labor movement until her death in 1972.