The Padiham and District Weavers', Winders' and 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 weavers in the

Padiham Padiham ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It forms part of the Borough of Burnley. Originally by the River Calder, it is edged by the foothills of Pendle Hill to the north-west ...

area of

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 ...

, in England. The foundation date of the union is unclear, having been given variously as 1850, 1856 or 1858. It definitely existed by 1858, when it became a founder constituent of 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 ...

.Edwin Hopwood, ''A History of the Lancashire Cotton Industry and the Amalgamated Weavers' Association'', pp.47-52 The following year, it led a 29-week strike. In 1884, the union was a founding constituent of the

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, ...

. Membership of the union was over 4,000 by 1892, and peaked at just under 6,010 in 1907. Unlike many other cotton industry unions, in 1915 it voted against funding the Labour Party. It then decided to register with the government, but almost immediately changed its mind, and deregistered. Union membership declined along with employment in the Lancashire cotton industry, and by 1960 the union had only 900 members remaining. It remained independent until 1977, when it merged into the

Burnley, Nelson and District Textile Workers' Union The Burnley, Nelson, Rossendale and District Textile Workers' Union (BNRDTWU) was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Burnley and Nelson areas of Lancashire in England. The union was formed in 1966 with the merger of the ...

General Secretaries

:1850s: Abraham Pinder :Robert Hargreaves :1910s: Thomas Y. Sutcliffe :1916: David Russell :1944: T. Taylor :1960: J. Mannion

References

{{UTFWA Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Padiham Cotton industry trade unions 1856 establishments in the United Kingdom 1977 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1856 Trade unions disestablished in 1977 Trade unions based in Lancashire