Silk workers' unions - Amalgamated Society of Textile and Kindred Trades
A brief history
1902 - Macclesfield Power Loom Silk Weavers and General Silk Workers Association was formed. It changed its name to the National Silk Workers Association in 1906.
1907 - Leek Textile Federation was formed.
1919 - Amalgamated Society of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades was formed to replace the Leek Textile Federation from an amalgamation between the Amalgamated Society of Silk Pickers (1872), the Amalgamated Society of Braid Workers and Kindred Trades (1888), the Amalgamated Society of Silk and Cotton Dyers (1889), the Amalgamated Society of Women Workers (1906), the Amalgamted Society of Silk Spinners, Throwsters and Reelers (1907) and the Leek Spun Silk Dressers Union (1907), which were all based around Leek, Macclesfield and Congleton.
1992 - the Amalgamated Society of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades changed its name to the Union of Textile Workers.
2002 - the Union of Textile Workers joined AMICUS.
2007 - Amicus merged with the Transport and General Workers Union to form Unite.
Unite still exists today, click here to visit their Website
Silk workers' unions archives in our collection
Silk Workers' Unions (TU/SILK)
- Minute books of the Amalgamated Society of Silk Pickers, Amalgamated Society of Silk and Cotton Dyers, Amalgamated Society of Braid Workers and Kindred Trades, Amalgamated Society of Women Workers, Amalgamated Society of Spinners, Throwers and Reelers, Associated Trimming Weavers Society of Leek and District and Leek Textile Federation.
- Records of the Amalgamated Society of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades including annual reports, minutes and correspondence, rules, circulars, agreements and other papers and branch records.
- Records of the National Silk Workers and Textile Trades Federation including annual reports, minute books and Executive Council papers.
- Records of the Joint Industrial Council for the Silk Industry inclduing reports, minutes and other papers
- Papers from other organisations related to the silk industry
Sources about Silk workers' unions in the Library
Gail Malmgreen, Silk town - industry and culture in Macclesfield, 1750-1835, Hull University Press (Hull) 1985
W Henry Brown, The silken glow of Macclesfield - with the jubilee history of the Macclesfield Silk Manufacturing Society Limited, Co-operative Printing Society (Manchester) 1938