The Scottish Union of Power Loom Overlookers 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 supervisors in

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

s in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. The union was founded at some point in the 1880s as the Dundee Power Loom Tenters' Association, and was led for many years by James Reid. Around the time of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it changed its name to the Scottish Union of Power Loom Tenters, having incorporated local power loom tenters' organisations in

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

and

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

.Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.4, pp.302-303 In 1969, the union adopted its best known name, its membership at the time being around 350 workers. In 1971, the union founded the "British Federation of Textile Technicians" with the General Union of Associations of Power Loom Overlookers and the

Yorkshire Association of Power Loom Overlookers The Yorkshire Association of Power Loom Overlookers (YAPLO) was a trade union representing junior supervisors in weaving in the United Kingdom. The association was founded in 1911 as the Yorkshire Federation of Power Loom Overlookers, then in 192 ...

."Alliance of textile unions", ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 23 February 1971, p.4 Its membership then began to fall, dropping to only 65 by 1989, by which time it was known as the Scottish Union of Power Loom Technicians. It dissolved in 2000.

General Secretaries

:c.1890: James Reid :1910s: P. McGregor :1920s: R. Macbeth :1970s: J. D. Reilly

References

Defunct trade unions of Scotland 1880s establishments in Scotland Jute industry trade unions Trade unions established in the 1880s Trade unions disestablished in 2000