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The first IAM convention was held in 1889. The first photo of women attending an IAM convention did not appear until 1903 at the 10th convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The photo is pictured below:
Years later, Traci Drummond a former Southern Labor Archivists at Georgia State University and current Research Librarian at the William W. Winspisinger Education and Technology Center researched the 1903 photo and was able to find a caption for the photo. It read, “Some of the lady visitors.”
Fast forward to 2024… 121 years later, the Advanced Women’s Leadership class was held at Winspisinger. As a project, a group in the class thought it would be fun to recreate the photo’s caption using the group’s class photo.
The attendees of the Advanced Women’s Leadership Class came to W3 from across North America to learn more about mobilizing, how to mentor and grow as leaders and advocates. There were education classes consisting of bargaining, organizing, and the struggles that working women and families endure.
The dynamics in the room were strong. These knowledgeable women came from different industries, crafts, and trades and were full passion and stood in solidarity together.
The program is designed to teach union sisters how to become active members and leaders, the Women’s Leadership program builds skills in the areas of organizing, parliamentary procedure, political and legislative involvement, strategic planning and network building.
The Women’s Advanced Leadership Program builds on lessons learned in Women’s Leadership and further develops skills in the areas of leadership, organizing, parliamentary procedure, political and legislative involvement, strategic planning and network building. The program teaches participants how to be effective and vigorous advocates for diversity, mutual respect, fairness and equality in the workplace and in the union.
