Clara Day, Local 743

Clara Day’s contributions to Teamster history are truly memorable. She battled both race and gender stereotypes as she climbed many steps on her way to attaining a leadership position with Local 743 in Chicago.

She was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and was the middle child of George and Belle Taylor. Day came from a large family with 11 children, including three sets of twins. Coming from a large family would be a benefit for Day years later as it gave her important skills as a coalition builder during her time as a Teamster.

She married young and headed to Chicago with her husband, Joseph. For many blacks in the mid-20th century, Chicago was viewed as a land of opportunity and many headed there from the South during what was called the “Great Migration.” Arriving in Chicago, she got a job at a neighborhood grocery where the owner allowed Day’s young daughter, Georgia, to stay in a family room behind the store. But when Georgia got sick with whooping cough, Day had to quit the job in order to stay home and take care of her daughter.

In 1947, Day went to work at Montgomery Ward as an information clerk. She was originally only planning to work there temporarily to make extra money for her family, but ended staying there for eight years while going to school at night. Montgomery Ward at this time had de facto segregation policies separating white employees from black employees as soon as they entered the building.

One of the biggest injustices of the segregated work experience at Montgomery Ward was that blacks and whites had to punch separate time clocks. This meant that blacks and other minorities would be forced to punch in “late” because they could not use the more conveniently-placed time clock reserved for whites. Additionally, black employees were usually assigned to areas where the workload was heavier. Whites were oppressed at Montgomery Ward as well because even though some of them told Day they had no problem working with blacks, they kept to themselves for fear that management would cut their pay.

The situation with the segregated time clocks would prove pivotal later in starting Day’s union career. After union organizers managed to put enough pressure on management to end the segregated time clock system, Day agreed to join the Teamsters. With the Teamsters needing more workers to sign cards to have an election, Day volunteered to help do organizing, and in 1954 the Teamsters won an election to be the employees’ bargaining representative.

Day made a great impression on Teamster brass with her skills as an organizer and in 1955 she was asked to work full time for Local 743 in a clerical role. Since many of the organizers had now left Chicago to organize Montgomery Ward in New York City, Day had to learn fast at her new job. She worked around the clock doing such tasks as handling grievances and collecting dues from members.

Eventually Day realized she needed more education in order to understand union duties better and to advance in her career as a Teamster. Once her daughter Georgia entered school, Day entered Crane Junior College and studied education and business. Eventually, her determination to better herself and her skills as a union member paid off as she became the first black person hired by Local 743 and was later the first woman to serve on its executive board.

Day truly enjoyed working with people and she was skilled at playing different roles—whether as a leader or follower—based on what was needed to accomplish a goal. She amazed many around her with her ability to shoulder workloads that most people would not have been able to maintain. She would regularly work 12-hour days.

Day’s love of people could also be seen in her involvement in various human rights activities. She believed that civil rights, womens’ rights and workers’ rights were all connected to one another and she immersed herself in all of these movements.
Among the organizations that Day worked with were the NAACP, the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), the Urban League and the Illinois Commission on the Status of Women.