The Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial 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 spinners across eastern Lancashire, in England. It was often the large spinners' union, and provided much of the leadership of the Spinners' Amalgamation.

History

A union of spinners existed in

Oldham Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...

by 1797, and may have been in continuous existence thereafter. In 1843, it was reconstituted under the name of the Oldham Provincial Cotton Spinners' and Self Actor Minders' Association, and established an office on Roch Street in the town. From the start, the union had branches in Lees, Shaw and Waterhead, in addition to Oldham, and it soon expanded to included branches in

Chadderton Chadderton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, on the River Irk and Rochdale Canal. It is located in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Oldham, south of Rochdale and north-east of Manchester. The ...

, Hollinwood, Middleton and

Royton Royton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 21,284 in 2011. Close to the source of the River Irk, near undulating land at the foothills of the South Pennines, it is northwest of Ol ...

. By 1868, it had 2,226 members. The union was a member of the Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, Twiners and Self-Actor Minders of the United Kingdom from its formation in 1845, but left in 1853, and held membership intermittently thereafter. In 1870, it was a founder member of the new Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, but it retained control over the welfare benefits it paid members, and over wage negotiations. Initially its second-largest province, after

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

, it grew steadily. By 1919, it provided 40% of the entire membership of the amalgamation, but when piecers were admitted, it again fell behind Bolton. In 1939, it still had 10,000 members, spread over 15 branches. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, membership of the union declined rapidly, and in 1973 it stood at only 12 people. Despite this, it survived until 1980, when it was dissolved.

General Secretaries

:1868: Thomas Ashton :1913:

Fred Birchenough Frederick William Birchenough (12 November 1872''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 10 January 1951) was a British trade unionist. Born in Macclesfield, Birchenough grew up in Chadderton. He joined the Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners' A ...

:1936:

Albert Knowles Albert Knowles (1885 – July 1953) was a British trade union leader. Born in Turton, near Bolton, Knowles began working in a cotton mill at the age of eleven, also joining a local union. In 1908, he moved to Oldham and transferred to th ...

:1953: Walter Lee :1967: Frederick Mayall

References

{{UTFWA Oldham Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Cotton industry trade unions Trade unions established in the 1840s Trade unions disestablished in 1980 1843 establishments in the United Kingdom 1980 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions based in Greater Manchester