In the early 20th century, the world was captivated by the discovery of radium, a glowing element believed to hold miraculous properties. From treating cancer to adding a mesmerizing glow to consumer products, radium was celebrated as a wonder element. However, the very substance that was praised for its luminescent beauty would soon become the cause of one of the most tragic industrial scandals in American history. This is the story of the Radium Girls—young women whose fight for justice forever changed labor rights in the United States.

The Sparkling Job

In the 1910s and 1920s, companies like the United States Radium Corporation (USRC) and Radium Dial hired thousands of young women to paint watch dials with luminous radium paint. The job was seen as glamorous. Not only did it pay well—about three times the average female factory worker’s wage—but the women were also working with something magical: radium.

As they painted, the women were instructed to use a technique called “lip-pointing” or “lip-dip-paint.” This method required them to place the fine-tipped brushes in their mouths to keep the bristles sharp. With each watch face they painted, the brushes would lose their precision, so the girls would dip the brushes into the radium paint, then into their mouths, and repeat the process.

At first, this was considered harmless. In fact, many of the young women were fascinated by the glow-in-the-dark quality of the paint. They would paint their nails, teeth, and even faces with radium for fun, walking out of the factory glowing like specters in the dark. No one, not the workers, nor the public, could imagine the danger they were in.

The Hidden Dangers of Radium

Unbeknownst to the women, their employers had known for years that radium was dangerous. As early as 1901, scientists had noted the harmful effects of radium exposure, and by the time these factories were in full operation, researchers had observed the devastating effects of prolonged radium contact. Yet, this information was kept from the women who were handling the substance daily.

Within a few years, many of the Radium Girls began experiencing mysterious and excruciating symptoms. Their teeth fell out, their jaws crumbled, and their bones weakened to the point of breaking with the slightest movement. Some women developed large tumors, while others experienced severe anemia. The most horrifying aspect was that their bodies seemed to glow from within, as the radium they had ingested over time accumulated in their bones and continued to emit radiation.

Doctors were baffled at first, diagnosing the symptoms as syphilis or other unrelated conditions. It wasn’t until Dr. Harrison Martland, a medical examiner from New Jersey, conducted studies that the link between radium poisoning and the women’s conditions was finally established. By then, many of the women were on the brink of death.

The Fight for Justice

As the truth about radium’s effects came to light, so did the negligence of the corporations that employed the women. These companies initially denied any wrongdoing, hiring their own experts to discredit the women’s claims and publicly blaming their illnesses on other causes, such as poor hygiene or sexually transmitted diseases. But the women refused to be silenced.

In 1927, five of the Radium Girls—Grace Fryer, Edna Hussman, Katherine Schaub, and sisters Quinta McDonald and Albina Larice—took legal action against the USRC. The case was groundbreaking; not only was it rare for women to take legal action in those days, but the case itself challenged the established practice of workers being left to fend for themselves when they suffered workplace injuries.

The Radium Girls were not seeking extravagant payouts. They wanted their medical bills covered and a small stipend to live out their remaining years. Still, the fight was grueling. The companies employed numerous delay tactics, hoping the women would die before the case could reach court. When the case finally went to trial, the women’s health had deteriorated so much that they could barely speak or stand.

In 1928, just days before the trial was set to begin, the companies agreed to settle. The women received $10,000 each (equivalent to about $170,000 today), $600 annually, and coverage for their medical expenses. But for many of them, the victory was bittersweet, as their bodies had already been ravaged by the radium poisoning, and they wouldn’t live long to enjoy it.

A Lasting Legacy

Though many of the Radium Girls did not live to see the long-term impact of their bravery, their fight left a permanent mark on labor laws and workers’ rights in the United States. The publicity surrounding their case spurred changes in workplace safety regulations and helped establish the right of workers to sue for damages caused by occupational hazards. Their story also led to the establishment of new safety standards for the use of radioactive materials, protecting future generations from similar tragedies.

The Radium Girls may have started as workers seeking a steady paycheck, but their determination to hold powerful corporations accountable transformed them into symbols of justice. Their legacy lives on as a stark reminder of the human cost of corporate negligence and the enduring power of ordinary people to effect change.

In the glow of their painful story, we see the resilience of those who fought for a safer, more just world.