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CONTACT: Carolyn Bird Salazar, Chair, kcdw@kcdwomen.com
Kane County Democratic Women Hosts an Educational Presentation on “Women in the Labor Movement”
ST. CHARLES, April 18, 2025 – The Kane County Democratic Women (KCDW) will host a presentation on “Women in the Labor Movement” on Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL. The purpose of the presentation is to bring the community together to learn about and discuss women’s contributions in the labor movement, which have included the struggle for equitable pay for everyone, eight-hour work days, better working conditions, and limits on child labor.
Dr. Rosemary Feurer, a history professor at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, is the featured speaker. Her research and teaching interests focus on labor movements and conflict in the U.S. during the late 19th and 20th centuries and how these movements affected the U.S. spatially, socially, and economically. Her latest project is currently titled The Illinois Mine Wars, 1860-1930 and tells the story of the violent conflicts in Illinois that helped to establish Illinois as one of the strongest unionized states in the nation. At the same time, she is working on a biography of Mother Jones, the famous labor activist and agitator of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Dr. Feurer is also the author of two books and numerous articles on the U.S. labor movement.
Today’s workforce is concerned that artificial intelligence will replace humans in the workplace, both in office and factory settings. And the question of child labor laws is changing in some states so children are allowed to work 30-hour weeks even during the school year. Ironically, history repeats itself, and we can often find solutions to current problems and inspiration from women in the labor movement who have gone before us. Following the presentation, there will be time for questions from the audience. The presentation is free and open to the public.
ABOUT THE KANE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: The mission of the KCDW is to harness the political power of Democratic women to create positive social change through engagement, education, and empowerment. Meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings alternate between Oak Street Restaurant in Aurora and Carmina’s Restaurant in Elgin. For more information, contact Carolyn Bird Salazar, Chair, at kcdw@kcdwomen.com
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