Agnes Nestor
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| Agnes Nestor | |
| Born | 24 June 1880 Grand Rapids, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Died | 28 December 1948 Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | Labor leader |
Agnes Nestor (24 June 1880 – 28 December 1948) was a United States campaigner for women's suffrage and workers' rights.
[edit] Biography
Nestor was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but at the age of seven moved with her family to Chicago, Illinois, where she started work in a glove factory. She was one of the leaders of an 1898 strike of women workers at her factory (encouraged and supported by the unionised men), which lasted ten days. The strike was successful, all the women's demands being met, including a union shop.
In 1902, however, Nestor led the women out of the men's union, becoming the president of the newly-formed women's local, and went on in the same year to be one of the founders of the International Glove Workers Union. She was a national vice president of the union from 1903 to 1906, then secretary-treasurer from 1906 to 1913, general president from 1913 to 1915, vice-president again from 1915 to 1938, and director of research and education from 1938 to 1948. She was active in the Chicago Women's Trade Union League, and served as its president from 1913 to 1948.
Nestor was a co-founder (with Mary Kenney O'Sullivan, Jane Addams, Mary McDowell, Margaret Haley, Helen Marot, Florence Kelley, and Sophonisba Breckinridge) of the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL), and sat on its executive board from 1907.
She also helped to organise unions in other industries, such as the needle trades, campaigned for women's suffrage, a minimum wage, and maternity health legislation, and against child labour, and took part in the 1909 and 1910–1911 garment workers' strikes. She was largely responsible for the passing of the Illinois ten-hour-day law of 1909 (her goal of an eight-hour day wasn't reached until 1937).
Nestor died in Chicago aged 68 of undisclosed causes.
