James Charles Gordon (died 5 April 1929) 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 ( ...

leader and socialist activist. Born in

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...

, Gordon completed an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker with Pender & Baker, and then joined the East London Society of Tin and Iron Plate Workers. He quickly came to prominence in the union, serving on its executive, and then as the union's president. He advocated a single union of sheet metal workers, and in 1889 he persuaded both his own union, and the West London Tin Plate Workers, to affiliate to the

National Amalgamated Association of Tin Plate Workers of Great Britain The National Amalgamated Association of Tin Plate Workers of Great Britain was a trade union representing sheet metal workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1876 in Wolverhampton, when the Wolverhampton Tin Plate Workers' Society m ...

. As a result, in 1895, he was elected as president of this loose federation, and he also served as the part-time organiser of the federation's London district, proving highly successful at recruitment. He began touring the country to recruit to the federation's other affiliates, and so in 1901 he was made the federation's first full-time national organiser and secretary. In 1920, Gordon persuaded the federation's various affiliates to merge with the

General Union of Tinplate Workers {{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom The General Union of Tinplate Workers was a trade union representing sheet metal workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1862 in Manchester, bringing together nine local ...

, and form the more centralised National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers. He became the union's first general secretary. However, two years later, he retired due to poor health, and he died in 1929. Gordon was a member of the

Social Democratic Federation The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on 7 June 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury, James Con ...

for many years, and he also served on the executive of the London Trades Council, working in both organisations with

Harry Quelch Henry Quelch (30 January, 1858 – 17 September, 1913) was one of the first Marxists and founders of the social democratic movement in Great Britain. He was a socialist activist, journalist and trade unionist. His brother, Lorenzo "Len" Quelc ...

and

Fred Knee Fred Knee (16 June 1868 – 8 December 1914) was a British trade unionist and socialist politician. Born in Frome, Somerset, Knee became a printer and moved to London in search of work. By 1892, Knee was living in Wimbledon and had joined the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Charles Year of birth missing 1929 deaths General Secretaries of the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers People from Lambeth Social Democratic Federation members