The United Textile Factory Workers' Association (UTFWA) was a

trade union federation A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

. It was active from 1889 until 1975.

Objectives

The federation was founded in 1889, to represent the various textile workers' unions in political matters.D. A. Farnie, ''Region and Strategy in Britain and Japan'', p.117 A successor to the Northern Counties Factory Acts Reform Association, it had a broader outlook, not just campaigning on the implementation and extension of the Factory Acts. The UTFWA initially represented around 125,000 workers, three-quarters within twenty miles of

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

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 Lancash ...

. By the early twentieth century, its members were organised in the

Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives The Cardroom Amalgamation or Cardroom Workers' Amalgamation (CWA)Joseph L. White, ''The Limits of Trade Union Militancy'', p.240, note 9 was a British trade union which existed between 1886 and 1974. It represented workers in the cotton textil ...

Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners, also known as the Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1870 and 1970. It represented male mule spinners in the cotton industry. Histor ...

Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers The Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers (Hand and Machine) (AABTD) was a British trade union which existed between 1866 and 2002. It represented skilled workers in the cotton industry who were responsible for preparing warp ...

, Amalgamated Weavers' Association, General Union of Loom Overlookers and

Operative Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers Association The Operative Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers Association, also known as the Bolton Amalgamation, was a trade union representing cotton finishers in the vicinity of Bolton. History The union was founded in 1866 in Bolton and by 1871 already had m ...

. Later members included the Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen, the General Warp Dressers' Association of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the Ball Warpers' Association. Labour Party, ''Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party'', p.77 The new federation had a General Council with about two hundred members of local unions, and a Legislative Council of full-time leaders. However, its member unions did not always engage with its structures, and the General Council did not meet between 1896 and 1899.

Early years

In its early years, the association attempted to introduce a bill reducing working hours, but dropped the proposal after it was only narrowly passed in a ballot of members. It also hoped to sponsor parliamentary candidates for both the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

and

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

, but decided not to pursue this following a lack of interest from the Conservatives and opposition from James Mawdsley. However, it did achieve some success in campaigning against Indian tariffs on

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

imports, as the rates were reduced to below those on other materials. In 1902, breaking with its previous policy, the UTFWA supported

David Shackleton Sir David James Shackleton (21 November 1863 – 1 August 1938) was a cotton worker and trade unionist who became the third Labour Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, following the formation of the Labour Representation Committee. He ...

's candidature for the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists visiting the area. In 2018, the Cl ...

. He was elected and, the following year, the Association affiliated to the LRC. The Cardroom Workers quit the association a few years later after none of its members were adopted as parliamentary candidates, but rejoined in 1916. In 1920, some of its member unions moved for the association to extend its remit to industrial matters, but this was not adopted.

Demise

The federation was dissolved on 1 December 1975, following the decline of the industry and the merger of its two largest affiliates into the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union.Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union
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Election results

The federation sponsored a large number of Labour Party candidates, many of whom won election.

Leadership

Secretaries

:1889:

Thomas Birtwistle Thomas Birtwistle (16 October 1833 – 22 March 1912) was an English trade unionist and factory inspector. Born in Great Harwood, Lancashire, he worked in a cotton mill from the age of six, becoming a power-loom weaver at the age of fourteen. In s ...

:c.1892: James Mawdsley :1902:

Joseph Cross Joseph or Joe Cross may refer to: People * Joseph Cross (actor) (born 1986), American actor * Joseph Cross (cartographer) (1821–1865), English cartographer * Joseph Cross (cricketer) (1849–1918), English cricketer * Joseph Cross (judge) (1843� ...

:1925: James Bell :1931: Cephas Speak :1943: Ernest Thornton :1953:

Harold Bradley Harold Ray Bradley (January 2, 1926 – January 31, 2019) was an American guitarist and entrepreneur, who played on many country, rock and pop recordings and produced numerous TV variety shows and movie soundtracks. Having started as a session ...

:1958: James Milhench :1968: Joseph Richardson

Presidents

:1889: David Holmes :1890s:

William Mullin William Mullin (1844 or 1845 – 23 June 1920) was a British trade unionist. Mullin grew up in Oldham, and left school at the age of nine to work in a local cotton mill. He joined a local trade union, and was elected as its treasurer in 1880 ...

:1913: William C. Robinson :1919:

Walter Gee Walter Gee (died 14 June 1924) was a British trade union leader and politician. Gee live in Hyde, and came to prominence in the Hyde and District Cardroom Workers' Association, in time being elected as its secretary. The union was affiliated ...

:1924: William Thomasson :1935: Archie Robertson :1953: William Roberts :1958:

Harold Chorlton Harold Chorlton CBE (14 February 1898 – 4 January 1967) was a British trade union leader and politician. He served as the council leader in Rochdale, and also as a leading figure in the Lancashire cotton trade unions. Born in Rochdale, Lanca ...

:1964: Jim Browning