North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association

The North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association was a trade union federation of local weavers' unions in part of Lancashire in England, in the 19th century.

North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association
Founded1858
Date dissolved1903
Members8,185 (1870)
AffiliationTUC
Key peopleThomas Birtwistle
CountryUnited Kingdom

History

The federation was founded in 1858 as the East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Friendly Association, with a membership of 4,645. It was organised by Thomas Birtwistle, who believed that a federation of the many local weavers' unions in the county would improve the workers' position in wage negotiations. Initially, the Over Darwen, Church, Accrington, Harwood, Padiham, Chorley and Haslingden unions joined; larger unions such as those in Burnley and Nelson did not, as they felt able to manage their own affairs.[1]

Birtwistle became the federation's first general secretary, and was felt to have succeeded in his limited remit. By the end of the 1860s, the Clitheroe, Enfield and Ramsbottom unions had also joined, taking membership over 8,000.[1] The Burnley and Nelson unions both collapsed in the 1860s; the association established branches in these towns in 1870, which grew rapidly and became independent affiliates in 1871.[1][2] [3]

Encouraged by its success, during the 1870s, the federation ran a major campaign for shorter hours. In 1878, it organised a strike against a 10% cut in wages; employers responded by locking out workers not already taking part, but the strike was lost after nine weeks. This led to a restructuring of the federation, which took the new name of the "North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association" and began paying death benefits to members, and representing them in disputes relating to work stoppages, unfair treatment, fines and the breakdown of machinery.[1]

In 1884, Birtwistle founded the Northern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers, covering a broader area, and this soon eclipsed the North East Lancashire association, which became informally known as the First Amalgamation. Despite this, Birtwistle remained secretary until 1892, when he retired. At this point, most of the affiliates left, but the federation was not dissolved until 1903.[1]

Affiliates

As of 1884, the association's affiliates were:[1]

UnionFounded[4]Affiliated[1]
Accrington18581863
Bamber Bridge18841884
Burnley18701871
Chorley18551858
Church and Oswaldtwistle18581858
Clayton-le-Moors18581866
Clitheroe18701870
Colne18791880
Great Harwood and Billington18581858
Haslingden18581858
Nelson18701871
Padiham18561858
Ramsbottom18571860s
Rishton18781878

General Secretaries
1861: Thomas Birtwistle
1892: E. J. Holmes
1896: A. H. Cottam

References
  1. Edwin Hopwood, A History of the Lancashire Cotton Industry and the Amalgamated Weavers' Association, pp.47-52
  2. Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria; Smethurst, John B. (1994). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. 4. Farnham: Ashgate. pp. 102–103. ISBN 9780859679008.
  3. Fowler, Alan; Fowler, Lesley (n.d.). The History of the Nelson Weavers' Association. Manchester: Manchester Free Press.
  4. Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.5, pp.91-124
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