Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers

{{for|the South African union|Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers of South Africa}}

{{Infobox union

|name = Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers

|location_country= United Kingdom

|affiliation = TUC, ITUC

|members = 198,000 (1956)

|image = File:Amalgamated_Society_of_Woodworkers_emblem.png

|founded = 1 January 1921

|dissolved = 1 July 1970

|merged = Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers and Painters

|headquarters = 9–11 Macaulay Road, Clapham, London

|publication = Woodworkers' Journal

|key_people =

|footnotes =

}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.unionancestors.co.uk/ASW.htm|title=Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers including the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners|accessdate=2008-09-11|publisher=Trade Union Ancestors|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509082217/http://www.unionancestors.co.uk/ASW.htm|archive-date=2008-05-09|url-status=dead}}

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. In 1922, most of its Irish members left to form the Irish National Union of Woodworkers.{{cite book |last1=Devine |first1=Francis |last2=Smethurst |first2=John B. |title=Historical Directory of Trade Unions in Ireland |date=2017 |publisher=Irish Labour History Society & Working Class Movement Library |location=Dublin |url=https://www.irishlabourhistorysociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Historical-Directory-of-Trade-Unions-in-Ireland.pdf |access-date=23 January 2025}}

The ASW had 176,000 members by 1945, making it the seventh largest union in Britain. Its membership rose to 198,000 by 1956.{{cite book |last=Marsh |first=Arthur |title=Trade Union Handbook: A Guide and Directory to the Structure, Membership, Policy and Personnel of the British Trade Unions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEkOAAAAQAAJ |accessdate=16 April 2013 |year=1979 |publisher=Gower Press |location=Westmead, Hants. |isbn=0-566-02091-2 |page=14}} In 1965, the National Union of Packing Case Makers (Wood and Tin), Box Makers, Sawyers and Mill Workers merged into the ASW.{{cite book|last1=Marsh|first1=Arthur|last2=Ryan|first2=Victoria|title=Historical Directory of Trade Unions|volume=3|date=1987|publisher=Gower Publishing|location=Aldershot|isbn=0566021625|page=[https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars/page/368 368]|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars/page/368}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/ead/078ASW.htm |title=Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers 1915-71 |accessdate=2008-09-11 |author= |date= |publisher=University of Warwick}} 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).

Election results

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

class="wikitable sortable" ! Election !! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position
rowspan=6\| 1922 general election	Birmingham Yardley	{{sortname\|Archibald\|Gossling}}	11,234	41.9	2Labour 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.
Chippenham	{{sortname\|William Robert\|Roberts\|nolink=1}}	1,098	05.1	3
Stockport	{{sortname\|James C. H.\|Robinson\|nolink=1}}	16,126	15.8	4{{cite news \|title=Obituary: J. C. H. Robinson \|work=Woodworkers', Painters' and Building Workers' Journal \|date=1946}}
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee}}	8,758	43.3	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	12,529	48.5	2
Wycombe	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Stennett\|nolink=1}}	4,403	14.1	3
rowspan=6\| 1923 general election	Birmingham Yardley	{{sortname\|Archibald\|Gossling}}	11,562	46.5	2{{cite book \|last1=Higgenbottam \|first1=Samuel \|title=Our Society's History \|date=1939 \|publisher=Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers \|page=284}}
Manchester Hulme	{{sortname\|Andrew\|McElwee}}	8,433	30.0	3
Nuneaton	{{sortname\|Thomas\|Barron\|Thomas Barron (trade unionist)}}	10,437	29.1	3
Rotherham	{{sortname\|Fred\|Lindley}}	16,983	53.9	1{{cite news \|title=Woodworkers' six for Parliament \|work=Manchester Guardian \|date=28 July 1924}}
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee\|Valentine McEntee, 1st Baron McEntee}}	10,026	47.6	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	14,004	51.3	1
rowspan=6\| 1924 general election	Birmingham Yardley	{{sortname\|Archibald\|Gossling}}	14,184	46.8	2
Manchester Hulme	{{sortname\|Andrew\|McElwee}}	13,070	41.2	2
Montrose Burghs	{{sortname\|Thomas\|Barron\|Thomas Barron (trade unionist)}}	6,914	42.8	2
Rotherham	{{sortname\|Fred\|Lindley}}	18,860	54.6	1
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee}}	12,621	49.1	2
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	14,884	47.3	1
rowspan=6\| 1929 general election	Birmingham Yardley	{{sortname\|Archibald\|Gossling}}	23,956	48.8	1{{cite journal \|journal=Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference \|date=1929 \|pages=24–44}}
Glasgow Partick	{{sortname\|Adam\|McKinlay}}	13,110	45.5	1
Manchester Hulme	{{sortname\|Andrew\|McElwee}}	15,053	43.8	1
Rotherham	{{sortname\|Fred\|Lindley}}	26,937	60.4	1
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee\|Valentine McEntee, 1st Baron McEntee}}	16,050	54.0	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	20,583	52.3	1
rowspan=5\| 1931 general election	Birmingham Yardley	{{sortname\|Archibald\|Gossling}}	16,640	33.8	2{{cite journal \|journal=Annual Report of the Labour Party \|date=1931 \|pages=11–27}}
Glasgow Partick	{{sortname\|Adam\|McKinlay}}	11,252	37.3	2
Rotherham	{{sortname\|Fred\|Lindley}}	22,834	49.2	2
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee}}	14,144	45.1	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	15,550	39.4	2
rowspan=4\| 1935 general election	Leeds Central	{{sortname\|Fred\|Lindley}}	13,701	43.6	2{{cite journal \|title=List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935 \|journal=Annual Report of the Labour Party \|date=1935 \|pages=8–23}}
Liverpool Fairfield	{{sortname\|Arthur\|Moody}}	11,155	37.5	2
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee}}	17,613	61.8	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	19,402	45.9	2
rowspan=4\| 1945 general election	Leeds Central	{{sortname\|George\|Porter\|George Porter (British politician)}}	13,370	57.1	1Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.232-248
Liverpool Exchange	{{sortname\|Bessie\|Braddock}}	8,494	52.0	1
Walthamstow West	{{sortname\|Valentine\|McEntee}}	17,460	65.2	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	26,566	72.2	1
rowspan=3\| 1950 general election	Gateshead East	{{sortname\|Arthur\|Moody}}	15,249	45.1	1{{cite journal \|title=List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950 \|journal=Report of the Conference of the Labour Party \|date=1950 \|pages=179–198}}
Leeds Central	{{sortname\|George\|Porter\|George Porter (British politician)}}	24,030	60.8	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	33,963	61.1	1
rowspan=3\| 1951 general election	Gateshead East	{{sortname\|Arthur\|Moody}}	19,525	57.7	1Labour Party, Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.184-203
Leeds Central	{{sortname\|George\|Porter\|George Porter (British politician)}}	23,967	62.4	1
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	35,296	64.3	1
rowspan=2\| 1955 general election	Gateshead East	{{sortname\|Arthur\|Moody}}	21,653	56.5	1Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-275
Willesden West	{{sortname\|Samuel\|Viant}}	29,185	61.8	1
rowspan=3\| 1959 general election	Bradford North	{{sortname\|John\|Marshall\|nolink=1}}	20,179	46.9	2Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.179-201
Canterbury	{{sortname\|George\|Peters\|nolink=1}}	15,746	33.8	2
Gateshead East	{{sortname\|Arthur\|Moody}}	25,319	58.9	1
1964 general election	Ripon	{{sortname\|Peter\|O'Grady\|nolink=1}}	7,341	21.8	3Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.158-180
1966 general election	Liverpool Walton	{{sortname\|Eric\|Heffer}}	20,590	57.3	1Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.308-330
1970 general election	Liverpool Walton	{{sortname\|Eric\|Heffer}}	21,452	53.6	1Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.289-312