James Rowan (7 October 1871 – 5 January 1944)''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995'' was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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. Born in

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

,''The Labour Who's Who'' (1924), p.146 Rowan began working at the age of ten, then later became an armature winder in

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 ...

, before travelling the UK working as an electrician.James Lloyd, ''Light and Liberty: the history of the EETPU'', pp.56-69 He joined the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) in 1897, and was elected as its

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

branch secretary in 1899. Rowan was a delegate to the

Manchester and Salford Trades Council The Manchester Trades Union Council brings together trade union branches in Manchester in England. History Efforts to bring trade unionists together across Manchester go back to the eighteenth century. In 1818 the cotton spinners persuaded othe ...

from 1900, and was a founder member of the Labour Representation Committee in the city. In 1904, he was appointed as full-time National Organiser of the ETU, and in three years managed to increase membership from 1,000 to 1,500. In May 1907, Alfred Ewer, the union's general secretary, disappeared, and was later found to have emigrated to Australia, having embezzled £144 of union funds. Rowan was appointed as acting general secretary and won an election for the permanent post in July 1907. Rowan was elected to the

General Council of the Trades Union Congress The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

(TUC) in 1921, serving until 1935. In 1933, he was a TUC delegate to the American Federation of Labour, and he represented the TUC at the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

on five occasions.''Report of the 1944 Annual Trades Union Congress'', p.192 He also served on the council of the

Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU), often known as the Confed is a trade union confederation in the United Kingdom. History The confederation was founded in December 1890 as the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuil ...

,James Lloyd, ''Light and Liberty: the history of the EETPU'', pp.273-275 and various Joint Industrial Councils. Rowan ultimately served until 1941. He oversaw rapid growth in the union; from 1,500 members in 1907, it grew to more than 80,000 on his retirement. The early 1920s proved a difficult time for the union, and he negotiated a merger with the

Transport and General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland – where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) to differentiate its ...

, but this was rejected by the membership. He became known for his

anti-communism Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...

but, despite this, members of the Communist Party of Great Britain became increasingly prominent in the union.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowan, Jimmy 1871 births 1944 deaths General Secretaries of the Electrical Trades Union (United Kingdom) Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from Rochdale