The Oldham and District Weavers', Winders', Reelers', Beam and Sectional Warpers' Association 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 cotton workers in an area centred on

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England. Unions of cotton weavers were established in Oldham in the 1830s and around 1850, but neither endured. In 1859, another union was founded, and this one proved enduring. It initially covered a wide area, from

Hebden Bridge Hebden Bridge is a market town in the Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, England. It is west of Halifax and 14 miles (21 km) north-east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the Hebden Water. The town is the largest ...

in Yorkshire to Castleton near Rochdale, and proved successful in maintaining its membership and building up funds. As a result, it felt no need to join the

North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association The North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association was a trade union federation of local weavers' unions in part of Lancashire in England, in the 19th century. History The federation was founded in 1858 as the East Lancashire Amalgamat ...

, although in 1884 it was a founder member of the new

Amalgamated Weavers' Association The Amalgamated Weavers' Association, often known as the Weavers' Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom. Initially, it operated in competition with the North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association in part of its area, ...

. By the 1890s, members of the union had reached 4,000, and it peaked at 9,500 in 1920. Almost all of these members were women - in 1900, it had only 71 male members - but its leaders were men until well into the 20th-century. Membership of the union declined slowly, along with the Lancashire cotton industry, and by 1960 it was down to 5,000. In 1968, it merged with the Oldham Provincial Card and Blowing Room and Ring Frame Operatives' Association, forming the

Oldham Provincial Union of Textile and Allied Workers Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolita ...

. In 1986, this merged into the GMB.

General Secretaries

: A. Birtles :1905: James Bell :1946: James Milhench : D. Lucas : A. Manley :1960s: M. Shaw

References

{{UTFWA Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Oldham Cotton industry trade unions 1859 establishments in the United Kingdom 1968 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1859 Trade unions disestablished in 1968 Trade unions based in Greater Manchester