We Were Still Ladies: Gender and Industrial Unionism in the Midwest after World War II

by Coreen Derifield

258 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2025

Reviews

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midwestern Women in the Industrial Workforce
Life at Home
- *Changing Roles*: Women gained financial independence and autonomy, shifting their household roles.
- *Balancing Work and Family*: Women struggled to balance work and family responsibilities, managing household chores and childcare.
- *Community Impact*: The influx of women into the industrial workforce led to changes in social dynamics, cultural norms, and economic structures.

Life at Work
- *Industrial Jobs*: Women worked in manufacturing, textiles, and food processing, facing challenges like sexism and unequal pay.
- *Unionization*: Women joined labour unions like the ILGWU and UAW to advocate for better working conditions and fair wages.
- *Challenges and Triumphs*: Women experienced camaraderie and solidarity with coworkers, helping them navigate workplace challenges.

Why Women Worked in Factories
- *Economic necessity*: Women worked to support their families, especially during economic hardship.
- *Financial independence*: Women sought autonomy and financial independence through industrial work.
- *Limited job opportunities*: Factory work was one of the few available job options for women.

Differences and Commonalities
- *Social class and race*: Women from working-class backgrounds and women of colour faced unique challenges, including racism and segregation.
- *Common experiences*: Women across social class and race experienced low wages, poor working conditions, and limited opportunities for advancement.

Notable Examples
- *The Uprising of the 20,000*: A 1909 strike of garment workers highlighting the struggles of female industrial workers.
- *Rose Schneiderman*: A labour leader and advocate for women's rights, working with the ILGWU and WTUL.
- *Eva McDonald Valesh*: A labour activist exposing poor working conditions and low wages faced by women.

Impact and Legacy
- *Increased independence*: Industrial work provided women with autonomy and independence.
- *Labour movement advancements*: Women's participation in labour unions advanced the labour movement.
- *Social and cultural shifts*

[Zoe Ngan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores how women’s entry into factory work after WW2 reshaped gender roles & family dynamics in the rural Midwest.

I was expecting a somewhat dry academic read, but Derifield packs the 200 or so pages with tons of thought-provoking insights that caught me off guard.

For example, the author highlights how jobs designated for women were labeled as requiring "dexterous" work, creating a sense of specialised identity that women felt empowered by. These jobs, however, often ranked in the middle to bottom tier of job categories and cemented gender segregation under the guise of celebrating women's distinct capabilities. In embracing that label, women became complicit in their own marginalisation and reinforced the hierarchy that kept them there, which raises interesting insights about how identity can become both a source of pride & a mechanism of control.

It really made me think about how much my perspective was real vs. taught, whose interests are really being served, and the ways that I might’ve invisibly participated in my own limitations.

Another fact I learned was that the focus on “equal pay for equal work” was not a push for workplace equality as I had assumed, but a campaign to protect wages for men so companies wouldn’t replace men with women as cheaper labor. I hadn’t realised that I had subconsciously fallen into a presentist mindset when reading this, and assumed that the focus on workplace equality today applied similarly to the past. It’s always jarring to realise how much our current perspective can colour our understanding of historical movements.

My only minor “complaint” is that I felt the introduction to Iowa’s pre-WW2 history to be a little bland compared to the rest of the book.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really drawn to We Were Still Ladies because I love reading about the real-world shifts that shape everyday lives, and this book delivers that in a thoughtful way. It does read more like an academic text than a breezy history book, with careful explanations and lots of detail, but I still found it totally accessible as an everyday reader who’s just fascinated by the topic. The exploration of how women in the Midwest moved into industrial labor after World War II was eye-opening and made me think about the everyday courage of people whose stories don’t always make it into the headlines.

What kept me turning the pages was how grounded the writing feels even while it’s informative. The focus on real changes in family roles and community life makes history feel personal rather than abstract. I didn’t feel lost in jargon or overly dense passages, which I really appreciated. If you enjoy history that’s rooted in real people and social change and you don’t mind a bit of scholarly tone along the way, this is a rewarding read.

Thank you to the University of Iowa Press and Netgalley for the e-review copy.

[Kacey/Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal historical piece of women from the past. Coreen brings to light the struggles that women had throughout our history to survive and to be individually seen. Women in the Midwest but actually all over lived the traditional way until WWII. During WWII when women got a taste of being able to do something outside the house it changed them and they outlook on their lives. What a fantastic book!

[Bex · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Were Still Ladies delves into the lives of women industrial workers during and after World War II. Focusing on women who worked in industries specifically in the MidWest, Derifield uses both personal interviews and historical documents to explore themes of liberation, feminism, family, and work.

This thesis examines why some women in the MidWest rejected feminist ideals of equal work, preferring to stay in stereotypical feminine roles even in an industrial workplace.

I found this to be an interesting read and a needed reminder that women are not a monolith. I also enjoyed the quotes from personal interviews with women who lived and worked during that time! I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in learning about women, work, and the history of feminism.