The unwritten story of women's role in the birth of occupational health and safety legislation.

Abstract

Women's role in the formation of trade unions and development of collective bargaining, as well as in labor's historical struggle to improve day-to-day working conditions, has been conspicuously underplayed, if not ignored. Yet, when one reviews the history of the reduction of working hours, prohibition of child labor, elimination of homework in tenement slums, reform of factory legislation, and investigations into accidents precipitating early workers' compensation legislation, the literature is rich with women's investigative reports and studies on unhealthy and unsafe working conditions. This was the case from the late 19th century in North America up until the 1950s and the Cold War. The women's movement and political activities requiring factory reforms then seemed to go underground, re-emerging in full force during the 1960s. Women's involvement in the environmental movement, especially in the United States, has been significant in politicizing occupational health as well. Their efforts led to the 1970 passage of the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Act.