Crystal Lee Sutton 1941-2009

Known as the ‘real-life Norma Rae,’ Sutton may be best known for her action in 1973 that became an iconic moment in movie history:

I took a piece of cardboard and wrote the word UNION on it in big letters, got up on my work table, and slowly turned it around. The workers started cutting their machines off and giving me the victory sign. All of a sudden the plant was very quiet…

Her efforts led to unionization of the J.P. Stevens textile plant, and she became a union organizer–and a strong advocate for working women everywhere. She died Friday after a long battle with brain cancer.