The Women's Garment Workers International Union was one of the most important unions of the early 1900s. Founded primarily by Jewish immigrants and made up mostly of women, but ironically run by men, the union represented women's garment workers in the United States and Canada. The union conducted strikes to protest unfair and unsanitary conditions in the workplace, two of the largest being The Uprising of 20,000 and The Great Uprising. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 1909, 20,000 workers, mostly young women, led an 11-week strike against New York's shirt industry to protest low wages, long hours, and unsafe conditions especially for women who they would often be harassed by men in the workplace. The strike was not 100% effective, but it led to some significant changes. 339 of the 353 member companies of the waist and suit manufacturers signed contracts to meet the striker's demands, such as a 52-hour work week, four paid holidays a year, no discrimination against union loyalists, provision of tools and materials without compensation and salary negotiation with your employees. Additionally, 85 percent of New York's shirt makers joined the ILGWU. Another strike, this time in 1910, was even bigger than the uprising of 20,000. Made up mostly of men, more than 50,000 cloak makers went on strike during the Great Rising. They wanted union recognition and a closed shop system, among other things like higher wages and fair hours which were also the goal of the 1909 uprising. The strike met with opposition and a man named Louis Brandeis created the "Peace Protocol ,” a compromise between the ILGWU and garment industry employers in New York City. The aim of the protocol was to establish "joint control" of the industry between the wealthy owners and the unions. In 1911, the issues that workers had protested against were illustrated in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire tragedy. On March 5, 1911, 146 workers who could not escape the building because it was locked were killed in the fire. The factory closed all doors to discourage dropouts, and this unjust rule resulted in the deaths of innocent workers. A woman named Rose Schneiderman, a prominent trade unionist and activist for women and workers led a funeral march for the victims of the fire. The march and his speech prompted New York to create the Factory Investigation Commission, which over the next few years investigated conditions at more than 2,000 stores, factories, and tenements and created fire protection laws such as open doors during business hours and fire alarms. in mind: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay The International Ladies' Garment Workers Union was one of the most influential unions in the early 20th century. Their successful strikes led to significant changes and improvements in the garment industry and demonstrated the strength and determination of workers.