Rose Schneiderman

Jewish-American labor organizer who pioneered workplace safety laws after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Standing at 4-foot-9, Polish-born Rose Schneiderman (1882-1972) became a towering figure in labor rights. After surviving the 1911 Triangle Factory fire that killed 146 garment workers, she famously declared: Too much blood has been spilled. I demand from you the right to exist!

As president of the Women's Trade Union League, she lobbied for New York's 1912 Women's Work Hour Law capping shifts at 54 hours. Her 'Bread and Roses' philosophy linked fair wages with human dignity, inspiring the famous labor anthem.

Schneiderman advised FDR's administration, helping draft the National Labor Relations Act (1935) and Social Security Act. Her 1933 speech on industrial democracy directly influenced Eleanor Roosevelt's social policies. Despite anti-Semitism and gender barriers, she transformed workplace protections for millions.