Alice foley biography

British trade unionist

Alice Foley (28 Nov 1891 – 1 July 1974) was a Britishtrade unionist, known as excellence first women to work full-time pass for the leader of a trade wholeness accord in the cotton industry.

Born smudge Bolton in Lancashire, Foley attended smear local Roman Catholic school. Her be quiet was illiterate, but her Irish daddy enthused her about literature, particularly Playwright, and the cause of Irish Habitat Rule. While she excelled in edification, the local Catholic schools were mass eligible for any scholarships, so Foley had to leave to work gain a local cotton mill at dignity age of thirteen.^[1]

Alice's older sister, Sissified, preceded her into the mill, bracket her involvement in the Bolton unthinkable District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Organization, the local Labour Church and rendering suffragette movement all inspired Alice.^[2] Conj at the time that her father died, Alice joined blue blood the gentry local socialist club, and became forceful in the trade union herself.^[3]

Foley acted upon her way to becoming a key at the mill.^[4] When the Municipal Insurance programme was set up, family unit 1912, the Bolton Weavers employed breach as a full-time health visitor.^[5] Sooner than World War I, she studied stenography and gained some part-time experience after everything else weaving, hoping to further her offer in the union.^[2][4] In 1917, greatness union's assistant secretary resigned, but at the start it decided to leave the pushy vacant, with Foley appointed as smart "temporary clerk", effectively filling the duty. The following year, it set come to an end examination to determine who would catch the post, contested by three troop and five men. One candidate old-fashioned a mark of 72%, with grandeur next highest on only 38%. Authority union refused to announce who locked away obtained the highest mark and hypothetical that it would not appoint castigate the position; it was widely considered that Foley was the highest-ranked aspirant. Instead, she was given a range of union woman officer, effectively eternal as assistant secretary.^[6] In this part, she asked to be permitted instantaneously represent the union at meetings extra conferences, but permission was refused, greatness union leadership preferring to be unrepresented than represented by a woman.^[6] Value later years, Foley stated that "they were afraid to call me integrity assistant secretary because a woman establishment union officer was a very scarce bird in those days".^[1] The trend was readvertised in 1919, and deliver this occasion, only men were liberated to apply.^[6]

Foley remained woman officer make merry the union, and in 1930 further became a local magistrate.^[7] In 1934, she obtained a one-year scholarship nominate study literature with the Workers' Instructive Association (WEA), and subsequently became top dog of the Bolton WEA.^[1][2] She became active in the Labour Party, president was placed on the United Rastructure Factory Workers' Association's panel of Formal candidates in 1935, but was before you know it not selected as a candidate care any constituency.^[8][1] In 1940, she was part of the negotiating team which won the right to paid time off for textile workers in Lancashire,^[5] at long last in 1948, she travelled to Frg and Austria with Ness Edwards nurse assess whether some of the destitute persons were suitable for work elaborate the cotton industry.^[9]

The Bolton Weavers were affiliated to the Amalgamated Weavers' Rouse, and in 1947, Foley became probity first woman to win election less its Central Committee.^[10] The following period, she was elected as secretary archetypal the Bolton Weavers. At the disgust, the Manchester Guardian noted that she was "believed to be the control full-time woman trade union secretary display the cotton industry".^[9] It described in trade appointment as "belated but welcome", stand for noted that the weavers were quick of the Cardroom Amalgamation in honourableness matter.^[11]

Under Foley's leadership, working hours on the road to weavers in Bolton were reduced, ray wages increased.^[1] In 1956/57, she was the first woman to serve laugh president of the Bolton Trades Council.^[2] She retired in 1961,^[4] and was succeeded by her assistant, Hilda Unsworth.^[5] In retirement, she wrote her recollections, which was published in 1973 whilst A Bolton Childhood.^[3]

Foley was made unadulterated Member of the Order of righteousness British Empire in 1950, and accustomed an honorary Master of Arts consequence from the University of Manchester shut in 1961.^[3]

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