There was a problem with the delivery of this the first time I tried
to post it, so I don't know if it made it to the list or not. Apologies
for a repost if so.

Deborah Clover
Ithaca, NY

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 12:40:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Deborah Clover <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Domestic Workers Union

I'm looking for information on the Domestic Workers Union. According to
the American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1940 collection at the Library of Congress, the union "was
started by a group of Finns and a few Negroes in Harlem, who saw the
necessity for a fight against expoitation of Negro domestics. Until 1935
the office was located in the Finnish neighborhood..."

Many Finnish women worked as piika paikas (domestic workers), and I'm
particularly interested in the union as it relates to the Finns (since I
am involved with the Finnish community in the Finger Lakes area, and am
currently working on a committee to launch a Finnish Heritage project
here).

So, can anyone help with info on the union or Finnish domestic workers,
especially in the Southern Finger Lakes, but anywhere in NYS is useful?

Thanks.

Deborah Clover
Ithaca, New York