Margaret Dreier Robins

Margaret Dreier Robins (born Sept. 6, 1868, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.—died Feb. 21, 1945, Brooksville, Fla.) was an American labour reformer who helped lead the movement to improve the condition of women and children in industry.

In 1905 she married Raymond Robins (1873–1954), a settlement worker and former successful gold prospector who shared her social concerns. From 1907 until 1922, as head of the National Women’s Trade Union League, Margaret Robins contributed to the expansion of trade unionism for women, promoted the training of women union leaders, and advocated the passage of state and federal labour legislation.

Robins also worked with the American Federation of Labour and helped to found the Women’s Municipal League of New York. In 1915 she was named to the Illinois State Unemployment Commission and in 1921 was elected president of the International Federation of Working Women, an organization that she had helped to form. In her later years, she was active in the Young Women’s Christian Association, the American Red Cross, and the League of Women Voters.

Margaret Dreier Robins: Her Life, Letters, and Work, by Mary E. Dreier, was published in 1950.