1960s Labor Feminism
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established in 1964. They were a massive help because they could force employers to end discriminatory practices with threats of prosecution. The publishing of the Report of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women in 1963 was the main reason for the EEOC’s establishment, and gave feminism widespread support when publicly sold. Women’s labor issues were especially brought to the fore by this report, which found that the “double day” was extremely harmful and limiting, but also could be prevented with affordable and comprehensive childcare services (“Report of President’s Commission on the Status of Women”). The report summarized every problem labor feminism had dealt with and laid out the issue plainly for the public. It finally acknowledged that women working for low wages often could not strike because they would have no income otherwise, and proposed that employers be legally obligated to negotiate with unions (“Report of President’s Commission on the Status of Women”). Women of color like Lizzie Corbyn played a larger role in labor in the 60s by taking positions of leadership and learning organizational skills they could then put to use in the future, helping poor women organize and form their own unions throughout the rest of the century (Boris and Orleck). Second-wave feminism started during this period because of the President’s Report and borrowed many tactics from labor unions to advocate for women’s rights (Cobble).