In 1961, Hattie Canty and her family started new lives in Las Vegas. She worked as a janitor, and her husband worked in construction. Together, they provided for their eight kids. In 1975, Canty’s husband met an untimely death from lung cancer.
Now the sole provider for her family, Canty joined Culinary Workers Union Local 226 hoping to make a decent salary. She quickly began to advocate for her fellow service workers. Union leadership took notice.
Canty was soon president of Culinary 226. Under her leadership, the union held one of the longest strikes in U.S. history, from 1991 to 1997. The strike cost the company they were fighting against an estimated $1 billion.
But Canty didn’t rest on that victory. Her life’s work ensured that hospitality workers would be paid fair wages and receive healthcare benefits.
Canty turned the tragedy of her husband’s death into a life of service that benefitted her and others in her community. Black women are often at the forefront of social change, and their leadership can inspire us to fight together for economic liberation.