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Dorothy Jacobs (1894-1946) was a Latvian born, Jewish, feminist, trade unionist. She was a founding union organizer and vice president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). In 1916, at age twenty-two, she was elected to the Amalgamated’s General Executive Board (GEB). Jacobs strove to embed a feminist perspective into trade unionism and was dedicated to helping improve conditions for working-class women. She encouraged a cooperative relationship between the two genders.

Early life

Jacobs started out by organizing male and female Buttonhole Makers. She was one of two delegates sent to represent the Buttonhole Makers at the founding convention of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America at New York’s Webster Hall in December 1914. 175 delegates attended the convention but only 5 of them were female. Jacobs appealed to the convention to provide the City of Baltimore with at least “one woman organizer.”

Career

Jacobs held numerous positions at the ACWA, including serving as Local 170’s representative to the Baltimore Joint Board. On October 21, 1915, she became its secretary, establishing the Educational Department. In this position she was able to oversee the treatment of female trade unionists and simultaneously gain support from her male peers. She also sought to establish a Woman’s Department within the union.

In May of 1916 Jacobs was sent as a delegate to the ACWA’s Second Biennial Convention in Rochester, New York. At this convention nineteen individuals were nominated for the union’s seven member General Executive Board. Jacobs was chosen and became the sole female vice-president of a major union to exist at that time.

The year 1916 was significant for the ACWA in Baltimore as union and antiunion violence flared up. The union was in conflict with the United Garment Workers of America, and the Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the Wobblies. Jacobs was at the center of this conflict and wrote to the General Secretary, Joseph Schlossberg at the ACWA headquarters. She expressed how busy she had been and how she was proud of the energy of the girls involved at meetings for the workers at Strouse and Sonneborn. On August 16, 1916, attending one of these meetings, she presented a speech about “The Present Labor Troubles in the United States.” 250 women showed up to hear her and she relayed to Schlossberg how well she had been able to help members and manufacturers resolve their disputes. At the same time she was concerned that some of the fighting was serving as an obstacle in her quest to organize the women.

Jacobs used her position at the GEB to appeal to union leaders about how necessary it was for the men to take an interest in the organization of female workers. Quoted from an interview with the ACWA’s official newspaper, the “Advance” in 1917, she declared, “the terrible plight of women workers has been ignored by the men.” She wanted men to get involved and help. She explained; “I have found women slower to organize than the men, because they have so little experience in the labor movement. But when they are organized and educated I have found them to be the best workers for the organization there are.”

She participated in the ACWA’s campaigns in New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore and advocated for women workers to form separate women’s branches, while making sure that they did not leave their "mixed sex locals." She thought that the women only meetings would attract more women and encouraged imparting trade-union knowledge to as many as women as possible.

Personal Life

In August 1918 Dorothy Jacobs married August Bellanca. On August 20, 1918, Jacobs sent a resignation letter to the GEB, citing her "frail health" as the prime reason. There are some questions as to whether her withdrawal was really to do with her health or if the marriage had presented a conflict of interest by creating a “husband-wife leadership team.” August Bellanca was also an organizer and a General Executive Board Member. He was of Sicilian descent and their relationship had blossomed out of their shared activism within the ACWA.

Bellanca and Jacobs had no children. Jacobs did not embrace a more traditional role through marriage though, and instead continued to actively pursue roles within trade-union activities. She was described as having a “rebellious sprit,” which is reported to have been reflected in her decision to marry an Italian American. She was also described as having "enthusiasm, confidence, energy and a warm personality." She continued to focus on the “treatment of immigrant women workers in the men’s garment industry.”

Dorothy and August resided mainly at One University Place, New York City, which was close to the ACWA’s headquarters. They also had a country home close to Ellenville, New York, which they named Cragsmoor.

1920's

In the 1920's Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca continued to blossom as one of the most powerful trade unionists of the decade. She used the skills she had gained in the early Baltimore struggles to address the new phenomenon of runaway shops. Runaway shops were non-unionized plants that took advantage of economically depressed communities.

Jacobs Bellanca became so popular that she was requested more than anyone to speak for the ACWA. Mamie Santora, her successor on the GEB, sought her advice frequently. Jacobs Bellanca encouraged a “door-to-door” personal approach amongst the local drives. It was her hope that women would be inspired to become committed trade unionists through active participation.

“On December 8, 1920, 16,000 Amalgamated members were locked out of their firms.” The manufacturers were shocked to see the workers stand united for 26 weeks. During this period other unions were cracking. On January 18 1921, Jacobs Bellanca addressed the local in Baltimore and emphasized the need of children during the “lockout.” Following her speech, the women of the ACWA imposed a 25-cent per week tax on their wages to go towards a “New Babies Milk Fund.”

In the spring of 1922, August Bellanca’s health took a turn and the doctors ordered him to rest. The couple decided to leave for Italy for one year on May 22, 1922 and boarded the Majestic ocean liner. By 1924 they had returned and women ACWA members were lobbying for the creation of an independent Women’s Department in the ACWA. They were encouraged from their recent victories in the suffrage movement. In July of 1925 the GEB asked Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca to take the position of director of the department. She agreed but refused to take a salary, highlighting her husband’s salary from the union. Instead she looked at the position as her “contribution” to the ACWA as she dedicated her life to its vision. Bellanca was excited and believed that the Women’s Bureau would focus on some of the women’s unique needs and be able to connect gender and class concerns with one another.

The creation of a women’s only department was met with strong opposition from the Amalgamated men though. it was reported that the men were in fear of the women's power. Although Jacobs Bellanca was in support of the women’s initiative she also “advised caution.” Amalgamated men were concerned that the women were receiving special treatment and Jacobs Bellanca did start to wonder about the effect and consequences of a division between the genders.

Ultimately the national level of the Women’s Department was dissolved with Jacobs Bellanca's support. She stated, “very often one has to do things against one’s self for the benefit of the organization. What I see always is the organization first and the individual second.” The Joint Board subsequently told the Women’s Activity members that they would never be granted a charter for a separate locale. The women were devastated but Jacobs Bellanca sought to encourage the genders to reconcile and collaborate together in the quest of “class solidarity.” Jacobs Bellanca carried on advocating separate activities for women and spoke at women’s functions, just not under the umbrella of the Women’s Bureau.

1930's

In 1932, Bellanca was in Baltimore to organize the first general strike since 1921. Over 5000 clothing workers failed to report to their shops on September 12th and, instead, appeared in meeting halls. Once again Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca was able to inspire the women workers with her voice in a speech dedicated to them. On September 18, 1932 she also spoke with some elite Baltimore women and appealed to them to help the workers of Baltimore. They, in turn, appealed to the Mayor of Baltimore, Mayor Howard W. Jackson, and he commissioned Jacob H. Hollander from the The Johns Hopkins University to investigate the conditions. The report confirmed horrific working conditions for women.

Jacobs Bellanca continued to campaign and in 1933 she was pioneering for the Shirtworker’s organizing drive. In July 1933, she was involved in the plight of the large clothing market of Rochester, New York. It was said that in this struggle, Jacobs Bellanca demonstrated leadership skills that bestowed her with the title of the Amalgamated “Joan of Arc.”

In May 1934 in Rochester, New York, Dorothy Bellanca was recognized for her lifelong efforts by being nominated to the ACWA’s General Executive Board once again. Her husband, August Bellanca was also re-nominated. August’s health was an issue though at this time and so he withdrew his nomination, which meant that Dorothy could take the position. Only one spouse at a time should have held a position.

Political Life

In 1934 the Bellanca’s got more involved politically. Previously they had felt that both the Democratic party and the Republican party had failed to recognize the needs of workers. Their good friend though, Fiorello LaGuardia, became the Mayor of New York and Jacobs Bellanca learned from him about the types of benefits that could be “achieved through labor’s support of the Democratic Party’s New Deal.” After 1935 her efforts took on a more political approach consistently.

In 1936 she advocated for the re-election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. She helped to organize the The American Labor Party, which was a worker’s party that was committed to having Roosevelt re-elected. She spoke directly to the women and devoted almost all of her time to this campaign in 1936. By 1938 Jacobs Bellanca ran for Congress from the Eighth Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York. Her election headquarters were situated at 6602 Bay Parkway. Both her husband and Fiorello LaGuardia strongly supported her publicly. Being a woman, though, she was received with mixed reactions. Jacobs Bellanca pulled in 118,000 votes but it was not enough to win and it was reported that her opponents fought “hard and dirty” against her. She was defeated by just 16,000 votes, though, and so she did receive wide recognition for her campaign, including a complimentary letter from John Gelo of the Kings County American Labor Party.

World War II

During World War II Bellanca continued to lobby for the rights of women workers. At the November 1944 CIO convention she appealed to male delegates to be sure to extend “equal rights to women in their unions.” She was worried that in the postwar world, the women would be left without protection, , and lobbied for the idea of women emerging as equal citizens postwar.

During this time she contracted multiple myeloma, tumors of the bone marrow. She continued her efforts as her health deteriorated. In May 1944, the Amalgamated honored her with a luncheon thanking her for thirty years of devotion. In 1945 the Advance newspaper recognized her on the “37th Anniversary of International Women’s Day.” In May 1946, Jacobs Bellanca sent a message to the ACWAs May convention. She could not attend like she had hoped for. Her message called for for continued action.

Death

On August 16, 1946, Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca passed away at Memorial Hospital (New York City, New York). Her husband and her sister Reba were at her bedside. Her funeral was held at Riverside Chapel in New York City on August 20, 1946. Around 350 people attended. Her cremated remains were taken to the Woodlawn Cemetery in Westchester, New York.