It should be encouraging for workingmen
to see women enter their ranks and,
shoulder to shoulder, fight for economic freedom.
-Sophie Beldner Vasilio
Hellraisers Journal: Thursday April 30, 1908
Sophie Beldner Vasilio on Women and Industrial Unionism
On Tuesday we republished an article from The Industrial Union Bulletin of April 25th of this year, written by Sophie Beldner Vasilio, on the topic of Women and the I. W. W. Today we republish an earlier work by the same author on the topic of Women and Industrial Unionism.
From The Industrial Union Bulletin of August 3, 1907:
Work for Women in Industrial Unionism
To give an instance of the solidarity prevailing amongst women I shall have to talk of my own experience.
Working in New York in the garment industry with women mostly, here is what I observed. Twice a year, about the summer and winter season, their discontent was heard. Usually the piece workers were the ones that kicked, the prices being cut in slack time, and the new styles paying so little that it was necessary to organize in order to get even less than they asked for.
Twice a year three or four girls would get together to talk about organizing. Then these girls would start to talk to the rest of them about it. All would promise to attend a meeting for the purpose of organizing. Then they would appeal to the walking delegate of the waist makers’ union to organize them.
The meeting announced, only a few would make their appearance, the rest of them giving all sorts of excuses for not attending it. Still we would be organized, as few of we were. The demand for the prices was sent to the employer through the business agent, usually being compromised. About two or three months after the settlement, dues paying was postponed for a while by most of them, then they would say frankly: “We have no use for the union. We’re going to get married before long it’s no use paying dues to the union.”
Working in San Francisco, the City of Unionism, a Mexican women and myself began to talk about organization. One of the girls gave the definition of unionism thus: “To pay fines when you don’t parade on Labor Day or when you don’t attend the meetings, and besides, to pay dues for nothing.”
Then calling the foreman to sustain her statement, she further asked, “Mr. —–, don’t you think that we are getting paid more this way than if we were in the union?” The foreman, although formerly a union man, but now a tool of the boss, answered: “Sure,” with down cast eyes.
This is about the spirit that prevails amongst women in regard to organization. The real reason for this condition is not that they are incapable of understanding their interests as well as men do, but because there was no agitation among them as was and is continually being made among men; and even if they did get any education at all, it was in the line of that trade unionism of which the girl in Frisco gave a definition.
So far in their realm of life the women-could not progress in knowledge concerning the labor movement: first, because there was no agitation; second, because there were still in their minds fantastic hopes of marriage. Now they entertain no such hopes any more. The capitalist system with its brutal exploitation has crushed out all hopes for happiness, whether in married or single life, for our sister slaves.
They know now that the life they have to lead is a life of want and misery. While she is single and has got to support herself (and in many cases a mother or a whole family) from the little wages she gets for her labor, she finds out that her living is below the standard. If she believes in being dressed well her meal will be reduced from a regular one to just a lunch. If she believes in being well fed (so that she could produce more for the employer), dressing will always be poor. And so is her life bound to be when married.
The working man earns about enough to keep himself in working order, and when he gets married he has to share his wages with his family, whether big or small.
The consequences for the woman is the same enslaving condition in which she was before being married.
So, turn your eyes wherever you will, the same specter-misery and want-faces you mercilessly. This is the lot every woman of our class, the working class.
Every one of us sees that clearly, but few find the remedy to our situation.
However, there is no room for despair. Our brother slaves have, through long years of experience and keen insight into the causes of the conditions of our class, found a remedy. They have organized the Industrial Workers of the World, the hope of our class-which stands ready to organize the working class-men, women and children. Its object is to relieve us now, as much as it can; but its final aim is to overthrow the capitalist system and establish the Socialist republic, where slavery will not be known, when we will get the whole product of our labor.
To accomplish this end, the I. W. W. asks us women to organize ourselves with our brothers into one great wage-workers’ army on the industrial field, which is the fittest means by which we can acquire the necessary training and education for our economic freedom.
But as women are a little behind, and a greater amount of energy is necessary to call them to action, therefore I would suggest that a literature fund be established in one of the industrial centers where there are enough active women to take the initiative to carry out this plan.
This fund should be raised by an I. W. W. local by subscription lists and donations; the subscription lists to be forwarded to I.W. W. locals all over the country.
Meanwhile, I. W. W. women would contribute articles to The Bulletin, bearing on the question of industrial unionism and working class emancipation.
The local in charge of that fund would select the best articles and publish them in leaflet form with the sanction of the general administration of the I. W. W.
This, in my opinion, would be the only means by which we could reach the women in factory and at home, and make out of them a powerful factor in the onward march of the working class.
We must also take into consideration the women that are out of shop, the slaves of the slaves-that we can reach only through literature. On the other hand, there are many class-conscious women who feel and know the necessity of revolutionary education, but not being in the proper conditions to agitate or having no talent to convince others, remain inactive. Supplied with literature which they could distribute, they would benefit the movement just as much as their active factory sisters.
I hope that consideration will be given to my suggestion with the scope of furthering the organization’s growth.
SOPHIE BELDNER.
Edwardsville, Ill.———-
[Photograph added.]
SOURCE
The Industrial Union Bulletin
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Aug 3, 1907
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iub/v1n23-aug-03-1907-iub.pdf
Were Sophie Beldner and Sophie Vasilio the same person?
See Tag: Sophie Beldner Vasilio
https://weneverforget.org/tag/sophie-beldner-vasilio/
I could find no conclusive proof, but strong circumstantial evidence does exist, that Sophie Beldner was, at least for a few years, the wife of Leon Vasilio:
The Rising of the Women:
Feminist Solidarity and Class Conflict, 1880-1917
-by Meredith Tax
University of Illinois Press, 1980
(search: beldner)
Note: Tax asserts, sadly without sources or proof, that Sophie Beldner was “Sophie Beldner Vasilio.”
https://books.google.com/books?id=sIJ6FHla0doC
-There are other sources that also make this assertion, but they all come back to Tax as their source.
Note: the above article from IUB of Aug 3, 1907,
by Sophie Beldner of Edwardsville, Ill, is placed side by side with an article by Leon Vasilio of Edwardsville, Ill.
Ancestry Message Boards
-discussion describes Sophie Beldner as married to Leon Vasilio (her second marriage.)
https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=1&p=surnames.beldner
More research needed.
IMAGE
IWW Gen Adm Emblem, IUB, Mar 14, 1908
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iub/v2n03-mar-14-1908-iub.pdf
See also:
IUB of March 2, 1907 (Vol 1, Issue 1)
“Stand Up, Teofilo Petriella”
-by Sophie Beldner
-of Edwardsville, Ill.
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iub/v1n01-mar-02-1907-iub.pdf
-See Tag: Teofilo Petriella
https://weneverforget.org/tag/teofilo-petriella/
IUB of Apr 13, 1907
“Attitude in Matter of Strikes”
-by Leon Vasilio
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iub/v1n07-apr-13-1907-iub.pdf
From the Daily People of Jan 15, 1907, page 2
“As to Politics” =featured column
“Letter by Jos. Wagner and Leon Vasilio”
(re direct action and/or political action debate)
https://www.genealogybank.com/
https://www.marxists.org/archive/deleon/works/1907/answers/03-wandv.html
This letter included in SLP Pamphlet: “As to Politics”
-1st edition: see for AD in Aug 29, 1907 -p4 of Daily People
-2nd ed 1915:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo1.ark:/13960/t39z9r06g;view=2up;seq=6