Working 9 to 5: A Women's Movement, a Labor Union, and the Iconic Movie

(Hardback)

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9 to 5 wasnt just a comic film it was a movement built by Ellen Cassedy and her friends.

Ten office workers in Boston started out sitting in a circle and sharing the problems they encountered on the job. In a few short years, they had built a nationwide movement that united people of diverse races, classes, and ages.

They took on the corporate titans. They leafleted and filed lawsuits and started a woman-led union. They won millions of dollars in back pay and helped make sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination illegal.

The women office workers who rose up to win rights and respect on the job transformed workplaces throughout America. And along the way came Dolly Partons toe-tapping song and a hit movie inspired by their work.

Working 9 to 5 is a lively, informative, firsthand account packed with practical organizing lore that will embolden anyone striving for fair treatment.

'A must-read for any activist or reader in search for a piece of inspiration.' Liz Shuler, president, AFL-CIO

'This is an entertaining and occasionally enraging reminder of just how long and hard the fight for womens equality has been.' Publishers Weekly

'The 9 to 5 movement inspired organizers and working women everywhere. Finally, sexism that was a part of working womens lives was exposed and became a rallying cry to address what so many women endured just to earn a living. This engaging book by Ellen Cassedy gives a behind-the-scenes look at the organizing behind this important movement, and how it inspired a generation of women to stand up for themselves and their sisters for fairness on the job.' Cecile Richards, cofounder, Supermajority; former president, Planned Parenthood

'In these days of hard times for unions and workers, its good to have Ellen Cassedy to remind us of a struggle that looked pretty hopeless when it started but made a big difference. Womens work is still undervalued and underpaid, so what are we waiting for Read Working 9 to 5 for the story of a not-so-distant past that could help us figure out how to make a better, fairer future.' Katha Pollitt, The Nation

'A fresh and timely resource for labor educators that underscores the power of workers to change conditions inside and outside the workplace.' Mary Bellman, president, United Association for Labor Education (UALE)

Reviews

"A must-read for any activist or reader in search for a piece of inspiration." -- Liz Shuler, president, AFL-CIO

Author Bio

Ellen Cassedy was a founder of the 9 to 5 organization in 1973. She is the coauthor of 9 to 5: The Working Woman's Guide to Office Survival (with Karen Nussbaum) and The 9 to 5 Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment (with Ellen Bravo). Cassedy is a former columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, was a speechwriter in the Clinton administration, and has contributed to Huffington Post, Redbook, Woman's Day, Hadassah, Philadelphia Inquirer, and other publications. She lives in New York City. Jane Fonda is an Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author, and a longtime activist. She lives in Los Angeles.