October 9 - End of the Boom Boom Room

Labor History in 2:00 · Oct 9, 2026 · 1m

On this day in Labor History the year was 1997.

That was the day that a group of female employees at the investment firm Smith Barney came to a tentative agreement to settle a sexual harassment law suit against the firm.

Smith Barney was one of the oldest Wall Street firms, with a reputation for respectability.

But behind closed doors the firm more closely resembled what the Chicago Tribune described as a “fraternity-house atmosphere.”

The accounts women told of their treatment at the firm were lewd and disgusting.

In the basement of the Garden City, New York office there was a room called…