{{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom
The General Union of Carpenters and Joiners (GUC&J) 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 ( ...
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 1827 by the amalgamation of various local societies in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Originally named the Friendly Society of Operative House Carpenters and Joiners of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1863 it was renamed as the Friendly Operative Carpenters and Joiners General Union of Great Britain, and was thereafter universally known as the "General Union of Carpenters and Joiners".Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.3, pp.25-26
The union's influence variedly greatly over its existence. In 1832, it had only 938 members, but this grew to 6,774 only two years later. It then affiliated to the
Operative Builders' Union
The Operative Builders' Union was an early trade union federation representing construction and maintenance workers in the United Kingdom.
The union dated its formation to 1831, although it is not known to have existed with certainty until 1833. ...
, while remaining independent; it only just survived the collapse of the Operative Builders, and had a mere 536 members in 1850.
In 1861, the union's general secretary, Thomas Skinner, was imprisoned. In the aftermath, several branches joined the new
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, ...
(ASC&J). Although membership of the General Union recovered, a 53-week strike by the
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 ...
branch in 1877 drained funds and led many more members to defect to the ASC&J. By 1883, it had 1,750 members, less than a tenth the membership of the ASC&J. That year,
William Matkin
William Matkin (1845–1920) was a British trade unionist.
Born in Caythorpe in Lincolnshire,
During the 1900s and 1910s, the ASC&J repeatedly proposed a merger with the GUC&J, but was rebuffed. However, Matkin died in 1920, and the union agreed to a merger the following year, which formed the
Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
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 Constructi ...
.
General Secretaries
:1850s: Thomas Skinner
:1862: Robert Last
:1876: Charles Matkin
:1883: