Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
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
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
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
General Secretaries
1921: Alexander Gordon Cameron
1926: Frank Wolstencroft
1948: Jack McDermott
1959: George Smith
Assistant General Secretaries
1921: Frank Wolstencroft
1927: Thomas O. Williams
1947: Jack McDermott
1949: George Smith
1959: W. J. Martin
1962: Les Wood
References
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria (1987). Historical Directory of Trade Unions . Vol. 3. Aldershot: Gower Publishing. p. 368 . ISBN 0566021625 .
^ a b "Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers 1915-71" . University of Warwick. Retrieved 11 September 2008 .
^ 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.
^ "Obituary: J. C. H. Robinson". Woodworkers', Painters' and Building Workers' Journal . 1946.
^ a b c d Higgenbottam, Samuel (1939). Our Society's History . Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers. p. 284.
^ a b c d e f g h "Woodworkers' six for Parliament". Manchester Guardian . 28 July 1924.
^ a b c d e f Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference : 24–44. 1929.
^ a b c d e Annual Report of the Labour Party : 11–27. 1931.
^ a b c d "List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935". Annual Report of the Labour Party : 8–23. 1935.
^ a b c d Labour Party , Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.232-248
^ 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.
^ a b c Labour Party , Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.184-203
^ a b Labour Party , Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.255-275
^ a b c Labour Party , Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.179-201
^ Labour Party , Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.158-180
^ Labour Party , Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.308-330
^ Labour Party , Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party , pp.289-312
External links