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"Their record influx into heavy industry and the skilled crafts during World War II not only called into question cherished views of women's roles, but also raised questions about the economic security of men in the postwar era. The reaction of male workers and of unions to the presence of women in new roles, and to issues of importance to these women, reflected the complex intertwining of social and economic concerns. The resulting interplay of issues, feelings, and beliefs created another facet of industrial conflict characterized by a general desire to protect the seniority rights, the earning power, and the job security of male workers.The experiences of working women, especially those with families, shed light on the history of the home front, the special role women played in winning the war, and the role of women in the workplace and in society."
"All of these actions emphasized the protection of men's jobs and wage rates. The role played by women activists within Unions depended less on women's issues than on working within boundaries defined by class unity and male perspectives."
"When the war ended, when servicemen returned, when production slackened - when that day came, the future of many women workers remained unclear and largely undefended by their Unions... Separate seniority lists based on gender offered little protection for women workers, even if they had worked before the war. Under such contracts, companies could lay off women while employing male workers of lower seniority and not violate the Union agreement."
- Richard L. Pifer
author of A City at War: Milwaukee Labor during World War II
"When the war ended, when servicemen returned, when production slackened - when that day came, the future of many women workers remained unclear and largely undefended by their Unions... Separate seniority lists based on gender offered little protection for women workers, even if they had worked before the war. Under such contracts, companies could lay off women while employing male workers of lower seniority and not violate the Union agreement."
- Richard L. Pifer
author of A City at War: Milwaukee Labor during World War II
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"When the Ordnance Works at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, shut down to retool for tire-making, 3,475 of its 5,525 employees were women. Of the 2,000 workers who found new jobs, 1,750 were men, representing 85% of the men laid off; 250 were women, only 7% of female layoffs."
- Doris Weatherford
author of American Women and World War II
On some occasions, it was much harder for the women to obtain new jobs after their previously successful jobs, than the men.
- Doris Weatherford
author of American Women and World War II
On some occasions, it was much harder for the women to obtain new jobs after their previously successful jobs, than the men.
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