Documenting Labor Inside and Out
Union Members
Individual Member Spotlight -- Helen Quirini
Documenting labor also means collecting the records of union members and
union activists. The records of such individuals can provide valuable information on their
own union, on the labor movement in general, and the various social causes with which they have been
involved. Helen Quirini is a good example of an active unionist. She worked at
General Electric (GE) in Schenectady, New York, for forty years.
During her years at GE, Quirini was active in Local 301 of the United
Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE), and in its successor Local 301 of the
International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried Machine and Furniture Workers (IUE).
After her retirement, Quirini has continued to represent workers at
General Electric, most recently fighting to secure better pensions for retired GE employees.
Helen Quirini's activism is not limited to her union, however. During her hard work at
GE, Quirini often heard of the difficulties many women faced in the workplace and at home, as many women
workers were single parents. During the 1950's and 1960's, she did volunteer work in Schenectady focusing her
attention on the difficulties of working families. One of her proudest achievements was her work with Georgetta Dix,
founder of the Refreshing Springs Day Care, a non-profit child care center in Schenectady. The Schenectady
YWCA also benefited from Quirini's volunteer work as she organized counseling groups and social activities for
women and served on its Board of Directors. During the 1970's, Quirini volunteered at the United Way of Schenectady
County, helping to secure funding for local social welfare organizations, and worked with other statewide groups
examining health issues, nursing homes, and childcare. She also served as a member of the Schenectady County
Human Rights Commission. Quirini has been nominated for several awards and in 1977 was the recipient of the
prestigious Patroon Award given to community service volunteers in Schenectady. More recently,
Quirini has devoted countless hours to work with health care, child care, and senior citizen advocacy groups,
addressing the City Council in Schenectady, and speaking before thousands at annual GE stockholders meetings.
The
records of union members like Helen Quirini who were active both in their union and in
the surrounding community, are extremely useful for documenting not only the history of
labor but of the various social causes and communities that impact the lives of workers.
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