Though not working in the oilfields themselves or participating directly in related oil worker union activities, women provided support to their men through participation in the Woman's Label League, a nationwide organization described thusly:
Organized March 11, 1907 under the auspices of the Central Trades and Labor Council, the Woman's Union Label League encouraged the purchase and use of union label goods. Ladies belonging to the organization;were predominately wives of the union members. The first president was;Mrs. W. T. Ecks.
Source: LSU-Shreveport Archives Collections
The following objectives appeared at the front of their official publication.
Source: The Woman's Label League Journal Feb-1919, Page 2
Excerpt of a list of organizations using labels on their respective manufactured products.
Examples of advertisements supporting the purchase of union-made products.
Though some union men questioned the value of the label league, it was promoted to add cohesion to the overall labor movement, in this case giving women a way to participate.
Mrs C. A. Hunter (first name not known), identified below as president of the Shreveport chapter of the Women's Labor league, is noted as the only woman attendee to a 1917 state labor convention. Her husband, C. A. Hunter, appears in publications at different times representing the oil workers union from Oil City and Mooringsport.
New Orleans States 02-Apr-1917, Page 7
Charters were issued in Dec-1917 for Oil City and Vivian, its neighbor community in the Pine Island District. This was during the time of the oil workers strike that occurred in the southwest from Louisiana to California. For more on that subject, read An Advocate for Local Workers and Occupied.
The 1920 U.S. Census shows Emma Tippett (age 22) living in Caddo Parish, LA Ward 2 (that includes Oil City) with husband William Robert (29) and daughter Marguerite (one month old).
In the Aug-1918 edition, the OC local was shown to be led by Mrs. Susie Smith.
Source: The Woman's Label League Journal Aug-1918, Page 15
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| Emma Louise Strickland Tippett (1888-1949) - photo by Lisa Quigley Veitch (great grand-daughter) |
By Feb-1919, the local secretary was Mrs. Leonora Odom.
Source: The Woman's Label League Journal Feb-1919, Page 15
In 1918, Mrs. Hunter filed the following report to the convention regarding the activities of her organization.
The following is a letter submitted by Mrs. Odom (name misspelled below) on the status of the Oil City local.
Source: The Woman's Label League Journal 20-May-1921, Page 10
Leonora's tie to Oil City is verified by her husband William T. Odom's World War I draft registration, Interestingly "in parish jail" is his listed occupation. Whether union-related or because of simple criminal activities is not known.
No subsequent information on the union or local chapter has been found.
Information about the early women's movement is available at this link.
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