We often take things for granted. Maybe we do not fully grasp the history and hard-won fight behind it and just accept it as part of life today, never thinking that it could be taken away from us in the future.
Democracy is something we take for granted in the US until its fragility comes into focus and we fear losing it. There are many aspects of our democratic society that are currently being dismantled and every day brings new destruction of the pillars upon which our democracy stands. There are so many issues, but today we will focus on a particular one: under that large umbrella of liberty and individual civil rights is something that we often take for granted and the unsung hero who fought to provide it.
Labor laws as we know them today were not always part of our American heritage. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in Manhattan highlighted the unfair labor practices of employers that literally endangered workers’ lives. During the deadly blaze, the 146 workers, mostly women and girls, were trapped in the building because the doors were locked to prevent them from taking breaks. All of them died. This horrific loss of life made a deep impression on a young woman who witnessed the fire. She would become a relentless and successful pursuer of workers’ rights in the US.
Frances Perkins (1880-1965) lived in NYC and worked in the NY office of the National Consumers League at the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy. She went on to work in the New York state government, holding positions where she was able to implement safety standards. She made it her life’s mission to advocate for the masses of powerless workers who faced harsh working conditions under the oligarchs who employed them. Employers were getting rich off the literal backs of their workers who were paid mere pennies for their long hours on the job. Because of her compassion, supported by her faith, Perkins succeeded in making a difference, not just in the lives of her contemporaries, but for all future workers in the American labor force.
Today, we might give little thought to whether there are overhead sprinklers or exit doors in our office buildings, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and other public buildings. As a direct result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Perkins established fire safety regulations in the state of New York which were adopted in all other states.
But her influence spread further than just fire safety. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the president in 1933, he asked Perkins to lead the newly created Department of Labor. On one condition, she replied: her laundry list of workers’ rights would be implemented. FDR agreed and Frances Perkins became the first female Cabinet secretary in US history.
Undaunted by the sex discrimination against her by many of her male colleagues, Perkins went to work to create a safer and more equitable working environment for her fellow Americans. Besides her intelligence, her super power was her ability to “read the room” and to observe and understand her adversaries so she could persuade them to her perspective, all with the end game of passing legislation that promoted laborers’ rights.
As a result of her tenacity, her art of persuasion, and her compassion for workers, Perkins succeeded in implementing all her agenda (except one). Because of her untiring work, we have laws regarding: a 40-hour work week (instead of 70+ hours), minimum wages, child labor restrictions, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and perhaps her crowning achievement, Social Security. The one agenda item that eluded her was medical insurance for all, something that still eludes us today.
In December 2024, President Biden officially recognized Frances Perkins and her incredible achievements. While most people have never heard of her, Biden memorialized her life in a statue that is now installed in Ithaca, NY, home to Cornell University where Perkins taught after leaving her government career.
Today, I wonder if many of us take these accomplishments of Frances Perkins for granted, not realizing that the fight for fair labor practices was arduous. Sadly, Social Security, a benefit that positively impacts the lives of millions of retirees and their dependents, survivors of deceased workers, and disabled workers, has never been fully accepted by some conservatives, not in her time and not in our time.
When the government seeks to roll back Social Security by cutting funding, firing employees, or eliminating services, we must ask ourselves this fundamental question: What is the purpose of the federal government?
Does the federal government exist to protect human and civil rights? Does it exist to provide a safety net to its most vulnerable citizens? Should it provide protection to its citizens via the military and national security? Perhaps the role of the federal government is to do what we ourselves alone cannot do. And collectively, we can provide all of this through our representatives in government working to appropriate our tax dollars in ways that work for the common good.
Or, conversely, does the government serve to protect the interests of the wealthy at the expense of everyone else? In an oligarchy, the rich are out for themselves and will bend the government for their further enrichment. It is no longer a government for the people, only a government for the few.
This fundamental question on the purpose of government was turned on its head with the appointment of Frances Perkins as Secretary of Labor. She changed the trajectory of the labor force in profound and enduring ways which helped to navigate the US through the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond. By protecting workers, she paved the way for the creation of a middle class. By providing retirement benefits, she gave seniors the right to dignity, to not depend on their adult children, and to allow their adult children to prosper without the financial burden of their aging parents.
May we not take her hard-won victories for granted. May our compassion for the vulnerable and our own faith enable us to protect her legacy and the rights of workers today. May we take a stand against cutting Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, Head Start, veterans’ benefits, and other programs that serve the common good. Billionaires do not need tax cuts funded by the rest of us. The Gilded Age is history. May it remain so.
If you are curious about the remarkable Frances Perkins and her fight for the rights of American workers, I highly recommend The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirsten Downey.
NOTE: The Social Security Act, passed by Congress in 1935, excluded certain workers, such as domestic and agricultural workers. As a result, 65% of Black workers and 27% of white workers were initially excluded from participating in Social Security.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Call or email your representatives in Congress to voice your opposition to cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, Head Start, and veterans’ benefits, all of which are on the chopping block as they craft a new budget. This and other issues with possible phone scripts can be found on 5calls.org.
Check out Indivisible.org for peaceful protests and other events where you can get involved, including the schedule for boycotting the billionaires.
Give money to legal organizations on the front lines of court battles, such as American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (not tax-deductible), ACLU Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Brennan Center for Justice, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Democracy Forward Foundation, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) (not tax deductible), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and State Democracy Defenders Fund.
Stay in the fight for our democracy. Even when it feels exhausting and overwhelming. Do it for your future self and generations to come. Resist. Persist. Never give up.
Text and photograph copyright © 2025 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Lower Manhattan and the Hudson River as seen from the Empire State Building, New York City.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe. Subscribers receive an email each month that includes the post with the lead photo as well as bonus photos not posted on the website. Email addresses are never sold or shared.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more
Democracy is something we take for granted in the US until its fragility comes into focus and we fear losing it. There are many aspects of our democratic society that are currently being dismantled and every day brings new destruction of the pillars upon which our democracy stands. There are so many issues, but today we will focus on a particular one: under that large umbrella of liberty and individual civil rights is something that we often take for granted and the unsung hero who fought to provide it.
Labor laws as we know them today were not always part of our American heritage. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in Manhattan highlighted the unfair labor practices of employers that literally endangered workers’ lives. During the deadly blaze, the 146 workers, mostly women and girls, were trapped in the building because the doors were locked to prevent them from taking breaks. All of them died. This horrific loss of life made a deep impression on a young woman who witnessed the fire. She would become a relentless and successful pursuer of workers’ rights in the US.
Frances Perkins (1880-1965) lived in NYC and worked in the NY office of the National Consumers League at the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy. She went on to work in the New York state government, holding positions where she was able to implement safety standards. She made it her life’s mission to advocate for the masses of powerless workers who faced harsh working conditions under the oligarchs who employed them. Employers were getting rich off the literal backs of their workers who were paid mere pennies for their long hours on the job. Because of her compassion, supported by her faith, Perkins succeeded in making a difference, not just in the lives of her contemporaries, but for all future workers in the American labor force.
Today, we might give little thought to whether there are overhead sprinklers or exit doors in our office buildings, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and other public buildings. As a direct result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Perkins established fire safety regulations in the state of New York which were adopted in all other states.
But her influence spread further than just fire safety. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the president in 1933, he asked Perkins to lead the newly created Department of Labor. On one condition, she replied: her laundry list of workers’ rights would be implemented. FDR agreed and Frances Perkins became the first female Cabinet secretary in US history.
Undaunted by the sex discrimination against her by many of her male colleagues, Perkins went to work to create a safer and more equitable working environment for her fellow Americans. Besides her intelligence, her super power was her ability to “read the room” and to observe and understand her adversaries so she could persuade them to her perspective, all with the end game of passing legislation that promoted laborers’ rights.
As a result of her tenacity, her art of persuasion, and her compassion for workers, Perkins succeeded in implementing all her agenda (except one). Because of her untiring work, we have laws regarding: a 40-hour work week (instead of 70+ hours), minimum wages, child labor restrictions, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and perhaps her crowning achievement, Social Security. The one agenda item that eluded her was medical insurance for all, something that still eludes us today.
In December 2024, President Biden officially recognized Frances Perkins and her incredible achievements. While most people have never heard of her, Biden memorialized her life in a statue that is now installed in Ithaca, NY, home to Cornell University where Perkins taught after leaving her government career.
Today, I wonder if many of us take these accomplishments of Frances Perkins for granted, not realizing that the fight for fair labor practices was arduous. Sadly, Social Security, a benefit that positively impacts the lives of millions of retirees and their dependents, survivors of deceased workers, and disabled workers, has never been fully accepted by some conservatives, not in her time and not in our time.
When the government seeks to roll back Social Security by cutting funding, firing employees, or eliminating services, we must ask ourselves this fundamental question: What is the purpose of the federal government?
Does the federal government exist to protect human and civil rights? Does it exist to provide a safety net to its most vulnerable citizens? Should it provide protection to its citizens via the military and national security? Perhaps the role of the federal government is to do what we ourselves alone cannot do. And collectively, we can provide all of this through our representatives in government working to appropriate our tax dollars in ways that work for the common good.
Or, conversely, does the government serve to protect the interests of the wealthy at the expense of everyone else? In an oligarchy, the rich are out for themselves and will bend the government for their further enrichment. It is no longer a government for the people, only a government for the few.
This fundamental question on the purpose of government was turned on its head with the appointment of Frances Perkins as Secretary of Labor. She changed the trajectory of the labor force in profound and enduring ways which helped to navigate the US through the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond. By protecting workers, she paved the way for the creation of a middle class. By providing retirement benefits, she gave seniors the right to dignity, to not depend on their adult children, and to allow their adult children to prosper without the financial burden of their aging parents.
May we not take her hard-won victories for granted. May our compassion for the vulnerable and our own faith enable us to protect her legacy and the rights of workers today. May we take a stand against cutting Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, Head Start, veterans’ benefits, and other programs that serve the common good. Billionaires do not need tax cuts funded by the rest of us. The Gilded Age is history. May it remain so.
If you are curious about the remarkable Frances Perkins and her fight for the rights of American workers, I highly recommend The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirsten Downey.
NOTE: The Social Security Act, passed by Congress in 1935, excluded certain workers, such as domestic and agricultural workers. As a result, 65% of Black workers and 27% of white workers were initially excluded from participating in Social Security.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Call or email your representatives in Congress to voice your opposition to cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, Head Start, and veterans’ benefits, all of which are on the chopping block as they craft a new budget. This and other issues with possible phone scripts can be found on 5calls.org.
Check out Indivisible.org for peaceful protests and other events where you can get involved, including the schedule for boycotting the billionaires.
Give money to legal organizations on the front lines of court battles, such as American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (not tax-deductible), ACLU Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Brennan Center for Justice, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Democracy Forward Foundation, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) (not tax deductible), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and State Democracy Defenders Fund.
Stay in the fight for our democracy. Even when it feels exhausting and overwhelming. Do it for your future self and generations to come. Resist. Persist. Never give up.
Text and photograph copyright © 2025 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Lower Manhattan and the Hudson River as seen from the Empire State Building, New York City.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe. Subscribers receive an email each month that includes the post with the lead photo as well as bonus photos not posted on the website. Email addresses are never sold or shared.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more
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