I worked for and with Jewish-owned apparel manufacturers from the early 70s through the early 2000s, have had many Jewish friends (most of my closest friends are Jewish), dated several Jewish men, my godparents were Jewish (as were most of my parents' friends), and for four years I had a Jewish roommate (who spent a year in Israel on a kibbutz and was fluent in Hebrew). I knew her family well and in the beginning was able to pass as Jewish when near her bubbe. (I knew enough about Judaism and Yiddish to squeak by until Bubbe accepted me.)
To be clear, I never suggested that ALL Jewish men were skirt-chasers. But those who were (and their were plenty with eyes for young, attractive shiksas) backed away when they got told off.
Your friend apparently bundled, sewed, trimmed, pressed or performed other sewing floor labor, which was very different from management (which I was). Virtually ALL people in that category were/are paid by the piece (with a minimum wage guarantee).
Unless it was a very small company, the owner was unlikely to have any interaction with her. Supervision over employees in that category was left to the floor lady or floor man. And you're correct that some of those folks could be ruthless.
Jewish women were subservient or deferential to men? Not hardly. Maybe in some ultra orthodox communities that I didn't have contact with, but those would have been very scarce in the Los Angeles garment industry.
My lifetime of experience: American Jewish women tend to be well educated, liberal, politically astute, generous and kind, unafraid of stating their opinions, career-driven professionals who delight in their children, and who don't take a back seat to anyone - certainly not to their husbands or other men. I learned a lot about asserting myself from these powerful women.