Workers in Greater Pittston's Garment Industry
Pittston, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
From the 1930s to the 1980s Pittston emerged as a national center for clothing manufacturing. Thousands of workers, mainly women, labored in many factories throughout the Greater Pittston area. Most were members of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) that gained higher wages, workplace health & safety improvements, and employee rights. The ILGWU was active in civic and political life throughout Pennsylvania.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
From the 1930s through the 1980s, the mills of Greater Pittston stitched the region into a national center of clothing manufacturing. Thousands of workers, most of them women, ran the sewing floors, and their membership in the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union won higher wages, safer workplaces, and stronger employee rights. The ILGWU became a force in the civic and political life of Pennsylvania.
Why it matters
This marker honors the largely female workforce whose union organizing helped define modern American labor standards and gave working women a powerful public voice.
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Nearby & related markers
Min L. Matheson (1909-1992)
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Min L. Matheson led the Wyoming Valley District of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union from 1944 to 1963, building a membership of 11,000 in the region's garment shops alongside her husband Bill. Facing down corruption and intimidation, the Mathesons created a model workers' education program, a health center, and even a traveling chorus—and in 1972 she rallied relief efforts for victims of Tropical Storm Agnes.
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