{{Short description, UK trade union
The Amalgamated Union of Cabinet Makers (AUCM) was a
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
representing workers in furniture manufacturing in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
The union was founded in 1833 as the Societies in the House Furnishing Department. It underwent numerous name changes, but in its early years was usually referred to as the Friendly Society of Operative Cabinet Makers.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.III, p.318
In its early years, the union was a loose association of local trade unions from across Britain and Ireland. In 1837, with membership up to 1,020, it adopted a more centralised structure under the name Cabinet Makers' Society, and its Irish members left. In the 1840s, it became the Journeyman Cabinet Makers', Carvers' and Wood Turners' Friendly Society. Its based became the north west of England, particularly around
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, and it struggled to form sustainable branches elsewhere, membership falling to just 657 in 1846.
The union survived and started to grow late in the 19th century, membership reaching 2,452 in 1900, and 4,000 in 1918, when it merged into the
Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners
The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J) was a New Model Trade Union in the 1860s in the United Kingdom, representing carpenters and joiners.
History
The formation of the Society was spurred by the Stonemason's strike, 1859, ...
. A few branches disagreed with the merger and opted to remain independent.
General Secretaries
:1830s: William Herbert
:
:1874: Alex YuleRoyden Harrison and Jonathan Zeitlin, ''Divisions of labour: skilled workers and technological change in nineteenth century England'', p.26
:1899: Frank Smith