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Words of wisdom from the ILGWU (International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union). The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union was the largest labor union to represent workers in the women's garment industry in the United States and Canada in the twentieth century, peaking at 450,000 members. The ILGWU was formed by the merging of several NYC unions in 1900 and continued until it merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union to form UNITE in 1995.

The ILGWU was an important force in organized labor. Many of the working conditions we take for granted today were fought for by members of the ILGWU including a limited work week (they fought for a 55 hr. work week), workplace safety (after the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire), employee education programs, and employee health care (the ILGWU founded their own health clinic).