The Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries (AWCS) was a British
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 ( ...
from 1912 to 1941.
History
The union formed in 1903 as the Association of Shorthand Writers and Typists and changed its name in 1912 to AWCS.
[Archives Hub]
{Dead link, date=October 2019 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes It grew, partly because of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, from fewer than 900 members in 1916 to around 8000 in 1920. It became a member of the Trades Union Congress in 1919.
Anne Godwin
Dame Beatrice Annie Godwin DBE (6 July 1897 – 11 January 1992), known as Anne Godwin, was a British trade unionist.
Early life
Born in July 1897 in Farncombe, Surrey, Godwin's father was a draper. She attended school in Godalming until age ...
joined the union in 1920 and became its main organizer in 1928.
In 1941 AWCS merged with the
National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers
The Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) was a British trade union which represented clerical and administrative employees.
History
The Clerks Union was formed in 1890 and later was renamed as the Nationa ...
to form the
Clerical and Administrative Workers Union
The Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) was a British trade union which represented clerical and administrative employees.
History
The Clerks Union was formed in 1890 and later was renamed as the Nationa ...
.
[Clerks union timeline]
/ref>
General Secretaries
:1911: Florence
:1916: Mabel Basnett
:1918: Dorothy Evans
Dorothy Elizabeth Evans (6 May 1888 – 28 August 1944) was a British feminist activist and suffragette. On the eve of World War I she was a militant organiser for the Women's Social and Political Union twice arrested in Belfast on explosiv ...
:1931: Anne Godwin
Dame Beatrice Annie Godwin DBE (6 July 1897 – 11 January 1992), known as Anne Godwin, was a British trade unionist.
Early life
Born in July 1897 in Farncombe, Surrey, Godwin's father was a draper. She attended school in Godalming until age ...
Archives
Records of the AWCS are kept in the London Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University, commonly known as London Met, is a public research university in London, England. The University of North London (formerly the Polytechnic of North London) and London Guildhall University (formerly the City ...
's Trades Union Congress Library Collections.[
]
References
Further research
* Arthur Marsh; Victoria Ryan. 1997. ''The Clerks: a history of APEX, 1890-1989''. Malthouse P.
* ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol 1, pg. 46
Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom
Clerical trade unions
Trade unions established in 1903
Trade unions disestablished in 1941