State Committees: Structure of the WLAA

In each state, the WLAA fell under the Council of Defense, which was responsible for war efforts on the homefront. With no government funding, local branches of the WLAA took on the responsibility of raising money and gathering donations to fund their work. Often communities in need of laborers would contribute supplies or housing to the WLAA units. Once a state branch had gathered enough recruits in an area, WLAA members started a publicity campaign to convince the state’s farmers to hire the women to work their fields. WLAA representatives spoke at local meetings and distributed both information about the organization and recommendations from farmers who had hired farmerettes in the past. Next, the WLAA worked with the County Farm Bureau to figure out which farms and agricultural areas had a shortage of laborers. Once they were identified, the WLAA contacted the farmers to make sure they would hire women.

Most WLAA members were teachers, students, or seasonal workers; in other words women who could commit to 2 months of work over the summer. Recruits had to be between 18 and 40 years old and were usually not married. A small number of upper class women joined the cause as well. While patriotism was a big motivator for the recruits, they also benefited from the wages and experience of working on a farm. The WLAA selected women with pleasant dispositions and personalities for these positions and specifically weeded out those who seemed difficult. Because of this, the WLAA gained a reputation for counting cheerful, cooperative, and hard-working women among its members.

WLAA laborers were required to wear a work uniform as it was easier to do farmwork in a practical outfit rather than in a dress, but it was also free publicity for the WLAA. There were various uniform designs, including a khaki tunic with a belt, knickers, and leggings; cotton overalls with the WLAA logo; and denim overalls with a loose blouse. Formal uniforms were also available. WLAA committee members would don a skirt, jacket, tie, and hat and a lightweight version of this outfit could be purchased by other WLAA members to use as streetwear when they weren’t farming.

Using the standards set by the Women’s Agricultural Camp in Bedford, the WLAA required that their members be paid the same rate as a male farmhand, which was 25 cents an hour or the going rate for piecework. The organization pledged that each member would receive at least $15 per month in wages. Farmers also had to agree to an 8-hour workday with a break for lunch, which had been unheard of before the WLAA, especially for agricultural workers. While male farmhands were housed wherever they worked, the members of the WLAA utilized the unit system. They lived together in a camp or building offsite and had to pay for board and other expenses. Although it is unclear if hiring members of the WLAA was more or less expensive than hiring a male farmhand, the shortage of labor made it necessary and convinced farmers to agree to WLAA terms.