United Society of Engravers

Last updated

The United Society of Engravers was a trade union representing engravers, principally in the cotton industry, but also in the paper printing industry, in the United Kingdom.

The union was founded in 1889 in Manchester, as the Engravers to Calico Printers and Paper Stainers. Its membership was over 1,000 by 1898, and in 1909 the Scottish Engravers to Calico Printers and Paper Stainers merged in, the union renaming itself as the Amalgamated Union of Engravers to Calico Printers and Paper Stainers. [1]

The union's general secretary, Charles Kean, recognising that many of the union's members worked in the wallpaper trade, formed the Wallpaper Stainers' Trade Union Federation in 1917. This was a success, and in 1920 Kean took the union's wallpaper workers into a new Wallpaper Workers' Union along with other unions in the industry. [1]

The remainder of the union, still covering both the cotton and paper printing industries, renamed itself as the United Society of Engravers of Great Britain and Ireland. Over time, it became more strongly associated with cotton. Membership peaked at 1,600 in the 1930s, but then began to fall, declining to only 500 by 1972. [1]

In 1973, the union merged into the Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers, forming its new wallpaper and textiles section. [2]

General Secretaries

1909: Charles Kean
1920: James Thomson
1953: D. Hill

Related Research Articles

National Graphical Association

The National Graphical Association (NGA) was a trade union representing typographers and related workers in the United Kingdom.

The Northern Textile and Allied Workers' Union was a trade union representing cotton factory workers in northern Lancashire in England.

The London Society of Compositors was a British trade union, representing print workers in London.

The National Union of Blastfurnacemen, Ore Miners, Coke Workers and Kindred Trades (NUB) was a trade union in England and Wales which existed between 1888 and 1985. It represented process workers in the British iron and steel industry.

Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers

The Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers (SLADE) was a British trade union representing workers in the printing industry.

The Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in the United Kingdom, principally in Lancashire.

The National Union of Textile Workers was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in England, principally in Yorkshire.

The National Union of Wallcoverings, Decorative and Allied Trades (NUWDAT) was an industrial union representing workers connected with the manufacture of wallpaper in the United Kingdom.

The National Society of Dyers and Finishers was a trade union representing textile dyers and related workers in the United Kingdom, principally in northern England.

The National Amalgamated Association of Tin Plate Workers of Great Britain was a trade union representing sheet metal workers in the United Kingdom.

The Blackburn and District Weavers' Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in Blackburn, Lancashire, in England. One of the earliest weavers' unions to endure, it formed a model that many others copied, and was at the centre of early attempts to form a regional federation of cotton trade unions.

The Lancashire Amalgamated Tape Sizers' Friendly Society was a trade union representing workers involved in the preparation of cotton in the Lancashire area of England.

The Colne and District Weavers', Winders' and Beamers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Colne area of Lancashire in England.

The Preston and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Preston, Lancashire, in England.

Charles Kean was a British trade union leader. He brought together workers in the wallpaper industry in a single union.

The Padiham and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Padiham area of Lancashire, in England.

The Hyde and District Card, Blowing and Ring Frame Operatives' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in Hyde and surrounding areas of Cheshire in England.

The Rochdale Card and Blowing Room Operatives' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Rochdale area of Lancashire in England.

The National Society of Electrotypers and Stereotypers (NSES) was a trade union representing workers in print foundries in the United Kingdom.

The Rossendale Weavers', Winders' and Beamers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Rossendale area of Lancashire in England.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.4, pp.416–417
  2. ↑ Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.1, p.200
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.