Kopelov, Connie.

Connie Kopelov was born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. In 1955, Kopelov moved to New York City where she worked on projects for the New York City Freedom Agenda and the Education Department of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers. Kopelov's involvement with working women's issues dates back to 1972 to the New York Trade Union Women's Seminar, a series of brown-bag seminars for staff and rank-and-file, originated by Barbara Wertheimer at Cornell's New York City labor program. Kopelov co-chaired the planning committee and conference in January, 1974 to discuss a range of issues confronting union women. The conference planning coincided with discussion that led to the formation of CLUW nationally. Kopelov also served on the CLUW National Planning Committee preceding the March, 1974 founding convention. After the New York City Chapter of CLUW was chartered in January, 1975, Kopelov was elected Vice-President. She has been a member of the board ever since, periodically chairing the education and International Women's Day committees. She has contributed articles to many newsletters and journals on women's history topics.

Kopelov has taught courses on women's labor history at Cornell and NYU. As a member of the New York Labor History Association executive board, she has tirelessly pushed for women's history programming. In March 1982, Kopelov joined the staff of the Workers Defense League, an advocacy organization for workers' rights founded in 1936. She directed a number of projects including a Speakers' Bureau to tell labor's story on college campuses, a pioneering unemployment insurance advocacy training course, and an employee rights-on-the-job project.

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