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Clara Lemlich Shavelson | |
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![]() Clara Lemlich circa 1910 | |
Born | March 28, 1886 |
Died | July 12, 1982 Los Angeles, CA | (aged 96)
Occupation(s) | Union organizer, suffragist, activist |
Known for | Leader of the Uprising of the 20,000 |
Spouse(s) | Joe Shavelson (1913–1951, his death) Abe Goldman (1960–1967) |
Children | Irving Charles Velson Martha Shavelson Schaffer Rita Shavelson Margules |
Clara Lemlich Shavelson (March 28, 1886 – July 12, 1982) was a leader of the Uprising of 20,000, the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in New York's garment industry in 1909, where she spoke in Yiddish and called for action.[1] Later blacklisted from the industry for her labor union work, she became a member of the Communist Party USA and a consumer activist. In her last years as a nursing home resident she helped to organize the staff.