Historical/Biographical Note

Efforts to unionize New York City department store employees in the 1930s took place under the auspices of the Department Store Employees Union, Local 1250, at first affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. The local became a CIO affiliate in 1937 and later expanded into Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The Office Workers' Union, a Communist Party labor initiative and an affiliate of the Trade Union Unity League, also organized workers in department stores, as well as clerical staff in a variety of businesses including newspapers, insurance and mail order companies.