The Preston 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

Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding distri ...

, in England. The union was founded in 1858 as the Preston Power Loom Weavers' Association, although a predecessor of the same name had operated at times from 1842 onwards. The union decided against joining 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 ...

, but in 1884 it became a founder member 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, ...

. The union grew steadily, reaching 5,388 members in 1892, 7,300 members in 1910, and reaching a peak of 13,000 members in 1920. In 1912, the union voted to pay a political levy to the Labour Party. A minority of members objected strongly to this, and 2,340 of them split away, forming the rival Preston Power Loom Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Protection Society. Membership of this union failed to grow, and in 1921 it rejoined the Preston Weavers. The small Bamber Bridge and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association merged into the Preston Weavers in 1940, but membership fell in line with the decline in the Lancashire cotton industry, dropping to only 4,050 by 1960. It had long worked closely with the Lancaster and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association, and with another union based in

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

, and in 1970 these merged into the Preston Weavers. In response to its broader remit, the union renamed itself as the North Lancashire and Cumbria Textile Workers' Association. In 1982, the union merged with the

Bolton and District Union of Textile and Allied Workers The Bolton and District Card, Blowing and Ring Room Operatives' Provincial Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Bolton area of Lancashire in England. The longest-established union of cardroom workers, it was ...

, the

Bolton and District Power Loom Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Loom Sweepers' Association The Bolton and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton mill workers in the Bolton area of Lancashire in England. The union was the first in the Lancashire cotton industry to appoint a woman as i ...

, and the Wigan, Chorley and Skelmersdale District of the Amalgamated Textile Trades Union, forming the

North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union The North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union (NWLDCTWU) was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in part of North West England. The union was founded in 1982, when the Bolton and District Union of Texti ...

. This merged into the GMB four years later.

General secretaries

:1858: J. Swift :1875:

Luke Park Luke Park (1840 – 28 September 1921) was a British trade union leader. Born in Kirkham, Lancashire, Park began working as a handloom weaver when he was only eight years old. About ten years later, he moved to Preston to work on powerlooms ...

:1919: R. J. H. Riding :1920s: T. Sumner :1941: G. Gardner :1950s: Fred Fleetwood :as of 1970: G. F. Jones

References

{{UTFWA Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Preston, Lancashire Cotton industry trade unions 1858 establishments in the United Kingdom 1982 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1858 Trade unions disestablished in 1982 Trade unions based in Lancashire