The Women that make up the WWHP Chicago

SUE STRAUS
Susan Straus joined WWHP in 1999. Sue has been involved in women's issues since high school when in 1967, she and her classmates went on strike to protest the skirt and blouse/dress code for girls, and won. In 1969, Sue joined the Women's Liberation Club at her college, Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. She was a member of the committee to form a women's studies program at Northeastern, and worked on an anthology that the women's studies program published in 1973. Sue joined the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1972 and became active in the Chicago Chapter of NOW in 1974. ERA and economic equity were the major issues Sue concentrated on. In 2004 she became a member of the board of the Chicago NOW Chapter, serving on the Education Fund board, the chair of the economic equity issue team and currently as archivist. As member of the Illinois NOW board Sue also is on the Illinois NOW Legal and Education Fund, a member of
Common Shares of Illinois, a collective of progressive charities. Sue was elected president of Working Women's History Project in 2003 and currently continues her work on women's issues for both WWHP and NOW.

JACQUELINE (JACKIE) KIRLEY
Jackie Kirley joined WWHP 13 years ago, attracted by its focus on women’s and economic issues and their history. Jackie taught in the Social Science Department of Harold Washington College (HWC) and was a member of the Women’s Studies Committee before retiring in 2004. Currently, she’s on the Advisory Board of HWC’s Wellness Center, remains a member (retiree) of the Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600 AFT, is a member the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and sits on the board of Pros Arts Studio, a non-profit providing free arts programming for children in the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods.

YOLANDA "BOBBY" HALL
Yolanda “Bobby” Hall is the founder of the Working Women’s History Project. Bobby grew up believing that unions were good for working people and began her activist career in high school. During WWII, she was the first woman hired to work in the tool room at Bendix Aviation Corporation. She fought the sex discrimination and harassment she experienced there. Bobby helped organize a union at her plant and became president of UAW Local 330. She was the first female member in the Illinois Industrial Union Council. She fought hard to get union support for equal pay for women and recognition of the need for child care. She fought unfair management and racial discrimination. Later in her life she fought the McCarthy red scare in the courts and entered the field of healthcare. She continued her activism for social justice long into her retirement. (See interview under “older entries” News, Articles, Working Women.)

ALMA WASHINGTON
An advocate for strong unions. Is a Chicago Chapter Council member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), a member of Actors’ Equity, and a member of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Has a passion for Women’s history. Travelled as a Road Scholar with the Illinois Humanities Council, performing her one-woman show about Lucy Parsons, labor leader in the 1880s and her role in the Haymarket Tragedy. A recent recipient of the Nelson Algren Committee Award and a trustee of the Illinois Labor History Society.

BRIGID GERACE
Brigid Gerace

TAMERA GUILINGER
... See Article

KATIE JORDON
Katie Jordan is a member of Workers United union. She has been a member for 43 years. Beginning with shop steward, she has held the positions of Secretary and Vice President, and was the first woman and African American to be elected president of her local.
Katie makes it known that she raised three children as a single with a union job’s salary.She is a board member of the Illinois Labor History Society, and have been a member of the Working Women history Project since it’s inception.

A member of the Policy Council of Citizen Action/Illinois, the largest political action coalition in Illinois and the Chicago Labor for Peace, Prosperity and Justice, and is a member of the national U.S. Labor against the War (USLAW) Steering Committee. She is a member of the Steering Committee of Jobs with Justice.
She is President of the Chicago Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). A member of the National Executive Board of CLUW, and is Co-chair of the Minority Women Issues and Affirmative Action Committee, as well as Co-chair of the Sergeant at arms Committee. While serving on the National Affirmative Action Committee she helped to write contract language on sexual harassment that to encourage women to make it a part of their contract negotiations.

She is a delegate to the Chicago Federation of Labor and pays tribute to working women and their contributions to our society at the annual Women History Month celebration, and is very adamant about it being made known, taught, and recorded in history.

A member of the Policy Council of Citizen Action/Illinois, the largest political action coalition in Illinois and the Chicago Labor for Peace, Prosperity and Justice, and is a member of the national U.S. Labor against the War (USLAW) Steering Committee.

ROSE MEYER
Rose Meyer has had a long career fighting for universal education, women’s rights, labor rights, and grass roots iniincluinclusion in politics. She taught high school and was a vice president in the Chicago Teachers Union. Rose has been a major major officer in Jewish and political organizations in Chicago and Oak Park. She is also a former board president of the LiteracLiteracy Volunteers of America.

JOAN MORRIS AND KEN MORRIS
Joan Morris joined WWHP in 1998 when she was a brought aboard as a playwright to write the musical play “Union Train” about the UPS Strike and about the Clerical Workers Strike organized by Vickie Starr. (See Theatre Roots section) In addition, her husband, Ken has played an integral role in the WWHP’s Theatre Group, acting in the plays, performing the songs, and often behind the scenes. In addition to writing, Joan taught at Harold Washington College for 10 years as an adjunct instructor and tutor. Since 1997, she has been teaching and tutoring English at DeVry University in Chicago. She has always been inspired by the work of Studs Terkel. She, like Studs, wants to capture the stories of working men and women in their own words. These oral histories form the basis of many of the WWHP’s plays. Joan feels these stories are our legacy that should be told again and again. Without a doubt, these stories show ordinary people can make a difference and are making it everyday.

HELEN RAMIREZ-ODELL
Helen Ramirez-Odell is a founding member of the Women’s Labor History Project which was the forerunner of Working Women’s History Project. She serves as WWHP vice-president, chairs the Chicago Teachers Union Women’s Rights Committee, and is active in the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). Helen wrote Working Without Uniforms: School Nursing in Chicago 1951-2001, which was published by WWHP. She is the school nurse at Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago, and enjoys walking her dog when she’s not at work or at a meeting.

SUE WEILER
Sue Weiler

JESSIE WEHRLE
is a graduate of the Master's program in Library & Information Science at Dominican University.
She works in the Children's Department at the Humboldt Branch of the Chicago Public Library.

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