Elizabeth Flynn Rodgers

Elizabeth Flynn Rodgers (August 25, 1847 – August 27, 1939) was an Irish-American labor leader. One of the first women to hold an office in the Knights of Labor, Rodgers advocated for women's rights in the workplace while raising her ten children. In the 1870s, she led a small group of women to organize the Working Women's Union, the first labor union for women in Chicago. Later in life, she helped found a fraternal life insurance organization, the Women's Catholic Order of Foresters, and led the organization for over fifteen years.

Early life

Elizabeth Flynn was born in Woodford, Ireland, on August 25, 1847. She was the daughter of Robert Flynn and Bridget (Campbell) Flynn. When Flynn was a child, her family moved to Canada, and she was raised and educated in London, Ontario.

As a young woman, she married George Rodgers, a socialist and union organizer. They both agitated for workers' rights and were blacklisted by companies, forcing them to move several times to find work. In response, in 1878, Rodgers led a small group of women to form the Working Women's Union (WWU), the first woman's union in Chicago. The WWU was made up primarily of non-wage earning women, seamstresses, and domestic servants, and its members included Lucy Parsons, Lizzie Swank, and Alzina Stevens. She was the first woman to hold that position in the Knights. Rodgers helped promote women's involvement in the Knights of Labor. The Women's Catholic Order of Foresters eventually became well-established across the United States, providing financial protection for Catholic families. She was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago.