The Preston and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

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, Lancashire, City of Preston local government district. Preston ...

, 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 ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

, 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 Power Loom Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Loom Sweepers' Association, and the Wigan, Chorley and Skelmersdale District of the Amalgamated Textile Trades Union, forming the North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union. This merged into the GMB four years later.

General secretaries

:1858: J. Swift :1875: Luke Park :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