The Wood Workers' Union ( fi, Puutyöväen liitto, SPL) 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 wood industry workers in Finland. The Wood Workers' Union was founded in 1925, but was banned in 1930. Later that year, supporters of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...

(SDP) founded a new Finnish Wood Workers' Union, which affiliated to the

Finnish Federation of Trade Unions The Finnish Federation of Trade Unions ( fi, Suomen Ammattiyhdistysten Keskusliitto, SAK) was a national trade union centre in Finland. The federation was established in 1930, after the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ) was banned. Its initial ...

(SAK). By 1958, the SDP supporters had been marginalised in the SAK, leading the Wood Workers to disaffiliate. In 1960, it became a founding affiliate of the

Finnish Trade Union Federation Finnish Trade Union Federation ( fi, Suomen Ammattijärjestö, SAJ, sv, Finlands Landsorganisation, FLO) was the first central organisation of trade unions in Finland, established in 1907. It was a part of the Social Democratic Party of Finland ...

(SAJ), while the SAK established a new rival, the Wood Workers' Federation (PTTL). In 1961, the union renamed itself as the Finnish Wood Industry Workers' Union. The SAK and SAJ merged in 1969, forming the

Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK ( fi, Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö; sv, Finlands Fackförbunds Centralorganisation, FFC) is the largest trade union confederation in Finland. Its ...

, which both the SPL and the PTTL joined. The PTTL finally rejoined the SPL in 1973, which renamed itself as the "Wood Workers' Union". By 1992, the union had 37,150 members. The following year, it merger with the

Rural Workers' Union The Rural Workers' Union ( fi, Maaseututyöväen liitto, ML) was a trade union representing agricultural and forestry workers in Finland. The union was founded in 1945 as the Agricultural and Allied Workers' Union, and affiliated to the Finnish F ...

, to form the

Wood and Allied Workers' Union The Wood and Allied Workers' Union ( fi, Puu- ja erityisalojen liitto, PEL) was a trade union representing workers in the wood industry in Finland. The union was founded in 1993, when the Wood Workers' Union merged with the Rural Workers' Union. ...

References

{{Authority control Timber industry trade unions Trade unions in Finland Trade unions established in 1930 Trade unions disestablished in 1993