Mullaney
Memorial -
a great day for us all
It was a proud day for the Irish, a proud day for women and a proud day for Labor when a large stone Celtic cross was unveiled and dedicated at the grave of 19th Century labor crusader Kate Mullaney in Troy.
"Our members have taken Kate's example to heart," said PEF President Roger Benson, one of many dignitaries who spoke at the September 18 dedication in St. Peter's Cemetery where Kate was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in 1906.
PEF wrote and published a history of Mullaney's life and work, "Kate Mullaney: A True Labor Pioneer" last year to coincide with the formal dedication of Mullaney's former home in Troy as a National Historic Site by First Lady Hillary Clinton.
This year, Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue, a Troy native, was among those speaking at the memorial dedication. She said that as a student growing up in the city, she never heard of Mullaney or her achievements at the age of 19 in organizing 300 women in the Troy collar laundries into the nation's first all-female union in 1864.
"It's because of labor pioneers, such as Kate Mullaney, that American workers have achieved the dignity, fairness and decent working conditions that they have," Benson said. "I'm very proud that our members have rallied to this cause and contributed generously to this memorial."