[2][4] In 1917, the union's assistant secretary resigned, but initially it decided to leave the post vacant, with Foley appointed as a "temporary clerk", effectively filling the role.
The union refused to announce who had obtained the highest mark and stated that it would not appoint to the position; it was widely believed that Foley was the highest-ranked candidate.
[6] In later years, Foley stated that "they were afraid to call me the assistant secretary because a woman trade union officer was a very rare bird in those days".
[8][1] In 1940, she was part of the negotiating team which won the right to paid holiday for textile workers in Lancashire,[5] while in 1948, she travelled to Germany and Austria with Ness Edwards to assess whether some of the displaced persons were suitable for work in the cotton industry.
At the time, the Manchester Guardian noted that she was "believed to be the first full-time woman trade union secretary in the cotton industry".
[3] Foley was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1950, and received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of Manchester in 1961.