Rose Pesotta (1896-1965) was one of only a few women labor activists who fought diligently to improve the standards of American sweat shops, especially for women, by organizing unions.

The Great Depression had a tremendous impact on workers in the United States. While all suffered from the devastating loss of jobs and economic deterioration, women especially were adversely affected. By 1933 almost two million women were unemployed. Married women were discriminated against more than married or single men and single women. Wages for women plummeted, and some women did not even make five dollars for a week's work. Workplace conditions worsened as the Depression increased. In the garment industry, where many women were employed, work standards deteriorated and the sweatshops were revived.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt took immediate steps to rectify the economic problems facing the country after he was elected president. The pro-labor stance taken by the administration...