Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers – Wikipedia

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Former trade union of the United Kingdom

The Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW) was a British trade union representing carpenters, joiners and allied trades. The ASW was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of two smaller unions. It was itself merged into the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians in 1971.[1]

History[edit]

The ASW was formed in 1921 through the merger of two rival unions: the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, Cabinetmakers and Joiners and the General Union of Carpenters and Joiners.[1]

The ASW had 176,000 members by 1945, making it the seventh largest union in Britain. Its membership rose to 198,000 by 1956.[2] In 1965, the National Union of Packing Case Makers (Wood and Tin), Box Makers, Sawyers and Mill Workers merged into the ASW.[3]

On 1 July 1970 the ASW was merged with Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators and the Association of Building Technicians to form the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers and Painters.[4] One year later the new union was itself merged with Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers to become the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers Painters and Builders (ASWPB). At the end of 1971 the ASWPB was renamed the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT).[4]

Election results[edit]

The union sponsored a large number of Labour Party candidates, many of whom won election.

Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position
1922 general election Birmingham Yardley Archibald Gossling 11,234 41.9 2[5]
Chippenham William Robert Roberts 1,098 05.1 3[5]
Stockport James C. H. Robinson 16,126 15.8 4[6]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 8,758 43.3 1[5]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 12,529 48.5 2[5]
Wycombe Samuel Stennett 4,403 14.1 3[5]
1923 general election Birmingham Yardley Archibald Gossling 11,562 46.5 2[7]
Manchester Hulme Andrew McElwee 8,433 30.0 3[7]
Nuneaton Thomas Barron 10,437 29.1 3[7]
Rotherham Fred Lindley 16,983 53.9 1[8]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 10,026 47.6 1[8]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 14,004 51.3 1[7]
1924 general election Birmingham Yardley Archibald Gossling 14,184 46.8 2[8]
Manchester Hulme Andrew McElwee 13,070 41.2 2[8]
Montrose Burghs Thomas Barron 6,914 42.8 2[8]
Rotherham Fred Lindley 18,860 54.6 1[8]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 12,621 49.1 2[8]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 14,884 47.3 1[8]
1929 general election Birmingham Yardley Archibald Gossling 23,956 48.8 1[9]
Glasgow Partick Adam McKinlay 13,110 45.5 1[9]
Manchester Hulme Andrew McElwee 15,053 43.8 1[9]
Rotherham Fred Lindley 26,937 60.4 1[9]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 16,050 54.0 1[9]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 20,583 52.3 1[9]
1931 general election Birmingham Yardley Archibald Gossling 16,640 33.8 2[10]
Glasgow Partick Adam McKinlay 11,252 37.3 2[10]
Rotherham Fred Lindley 22,834 49.2 2[10]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 14,144 45.1 1[10]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 15,550 39.4 2[10]
1935 general election Leeds Central Fred Lindley 13,701 43.6 2[11]
Liverpool Fairfield Arthur Moody 11,155 37.5 2[11]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 17,613 61.8 1[11]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 19,402 45.9 2[11]
1945 general election Leeds Central George Porter 13,370 57.1 1[12]
Liverpool Exchange Bessie Braddock 8,494 52.0 1[12]
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 17,460 65.2 1[12]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 26,566 72.2 1[12]
1950 general election Gateshead East Arthur Moody 15,249 45.1 1[13]
Leeds Central George Porter 24,030 60.8 1[13]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 33,963 61.1 1[13]
1951 general election Gateshead East Arthur Moody 19,525 57.7 1[14]
Leeds Central George Porter 23,967 62.4 1[14]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 35,296 64.3 1[14]
1955 general election Gateshead East Arthur Moody 21,653 56.5 1[15]
Willesden West Samuel Viant 29,185 61.8 1[15]
1959 general election Bradford North John Marshall 20,179 46.9 2[16]
Canterbury George Peters 15,746 33.8 2[16]
Gateshead East Arthur Moody 25,319 58.9 1[16]
1964 general election Ripon Peter O’Grady 7,341 21.8 3[17]
1966 general election Liverpool Walton Eric Heffer 20,590 57.3 1[18]
1970 general election Liverpool Walton Eric Heffer 21,452 53.6 1[19]

Leadership[edit]

General Secretaries[edit]

1921: Alexander Gordon Cameron
1926: Frank Wolstencroft
1948: Jack McDermott
1959: George Smith

Assistant General Secretaries[edit]

1921: Frank Wolstencroft
1927: Thomas O. Williams
1947: Jack McDermott
1949: George Smith
1959: W. J. Martin
1962: Les Wood

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b “Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers including the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners”. Trade Union Ancestors. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  2. ^ Marsh, Arthur (1979). Trade Union Handbook: A Guide and Directory to the Structure, Membership, Policy and Personnel of the British Trade Unions. Westmead, Hants.: Gower Press. p. 14. ISBN 0-566-02091-2. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  3. ^ Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria (1987). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. Vol. 3. Aldershot: Gower Publishing. p. 368. ISBN 0566021625.
  4. ^ a b “Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers 1915-71”. University of Warwick. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d e Labour Party, Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-272. Note that this list is of the sanctioned candidates as of June 1922, and there were some changes between this date and the general election.
  6. ^ “Obituary: J. C. H. Robinson”. Woodworkers’, Painters’ and Building Workers’ Journal. 1946.
  7. ^ a b c d Higgenbottam, Samuel (1939). Our Society’s History. Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers. p. 284.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h “Woodworkers’ six for Parliament”. Manchester Guardian. 28 July 1924.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference: 24–44. 1929.
  10. ^ a b c d e Annual Report of the Labour Party: 11–27. 1931.
  11. ^ a b c d “List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935”. Annual Report of the Labour Party: 8–23. 1935.
  12. ^ a b c d Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.232-248
  13. ^ a b c “List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950”. Report of the Conference of the Labour Party: 179–198. 1950.
  14. ^ a b c Labour Party, Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.184-203
  15. ^ a b Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-275
  16. ^ a b c Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.179-201
  17. ^ Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.158-180
  18. ^ Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.308-330
  19. ^ Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.289-312

External links[edit]