History By Tim Blydenburgh on April 1, 2021 at 6:20 PM Mullany established the first all-female union in the United States—the Collar Laundry Union—and ros e to prominence as a leader in America’s labor movement, his office notes. “Our Capital Region has long been a wellspring of pioneering women who have blazed trails for equality and shaped our nation and world for the better,” Tonko said. “In that impressive pantheon, Kate Mullany stands out among the brightest lights as a tenacious leader and role model who championed the cause of economic and social justice for America’s working women and all of our working class families. Her creation and unyielding leadership of the Collar Laundry Union in Troy, New York helped secure fairer wages and safer working conditions for countless women. We are all the beneficiaries of her bravery and advocacy and we owe it to her, and ourselves, to honor her legacy, tell her story and lift up her cause each and every day as we carry on her fight.”