Kathy Andrade
Creative Trouble Making
She was like the Godfather…
There would be a line of people outside her office, just waiting to get help. As a relative quoted in the NY Times obituary recounts, Kathy Andrade embodied the boots-on-the-ground activism that made the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union powerful. She helped countless immigrant workers and their families (not all of them garment workers) navigate a path to citizenship, learn to speak English, and engage in the labor movement that didn't always welcome them. When she started with the I.L.G.W.U., most labor leaders saw immigrants, whether documented or not, as jeopardizing the job prospects and higher wages of union members. Andrade played a key role in making sure that the I.L.G.W.U. didn't take that stance.
This exhibit introduces an extraordinary labor leader whose career in the NYC garment industry and in Local 23-25 of the ILGWU reached far and wide. We include clips from audio and video interviews with her (and a colleague) and a selection of photos from the archives. Details and additional resources here. We plan to make this exhibit part of a larger project, and welcome additional resources.
