The Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW) was a British trade union representing carpenters, joiners and allied trades. The ASW was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of two smaller unions. It was itself merged into the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians in 1971.

History The ASW was formed in 1921 through the merger of two rival unions: the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, Cabinetmakers and Joiners and the General Union of Carpenters and Joiners. In 1922, most of its Irish members left to form the Irish National Union of Woodworkers.

The ASW had 176,000 members by 1945, making it the seventh largest union in Britain. Its membership rose to 198,000 by 1956. In 1965, the National Union of Packing Case Makers (Wood and Tin), Box Makers, Sawyers and Mill Workers merged into the ASW.

On 1 July 1970 the ASW was merged with Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators and the Association of Building Technicians to form the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers and Painters. One year later the new union was itself merged with Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers to become the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers Painters and Builders (ASWPB). At the end of 1971 the ASWPB was renamed the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT).

Election results The union sponsored a large number of Labour Party candidates, many of whom won election.

Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position 1922 general election Birmingham Yardley 11,234 41.9 2Labour Party, Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-272. Note that this list is of the sanctioned candidates as of June 1922, and there were some changes between this date and the general election. Chippenham 1,098 05.1 3 Stockport 16,126 15.8 4 Walthamstow West 8,758 43.3 1 Willesden West 12,529 48.5 2 Wycombe 4,403 14.1 3 1923 general election Birmingham Yardley 11,562 46.5 2 Manchester Hulme 8,433 30.0 3 Nuneaton 10,437 29.1 3 Rotherham 16,983 53.9 1 Walthamstow West 10,026 47.6 1 Willesden West 14,004 51.3 1 1924 general election Birmingham Yardley 14,184 46.8 2 Manchester Hulme 13,070 41.2 2 Montrose Burghs 6,914 42.8 2 Rotherham 18,860 54.6 1 Walthamstow West 12,621 49.1 2 Willesden West 14,884 47.3 1 1929 general election Birmingham Yardley 23,956 48.8 1 Glasgow Partick 13,110 45.5 1 Manchester Hulme 15,053 43.8 1 Rotherham 26,937 60.4 1 Walthamstow West 16,050 54.0 1 Willesden West 20,583 52.3 1 1931 general election Birmingham Yardley 16,640 33.8 2 Glasgow Partick 11,252 37.3 2 Rotherham 22,834 49.2 2 Walthamstow West 14,144 45.1 1 Willesden West 15,550 39.4 2 1935 general election Leeds Central 13,701 43.6 2 Liverpool Fairfield 11,155 37.5 2 Walthamstow West 17,613 61.8 1 Willesden West 19,402 45.9 2 1945 general election Leeds Central 13,370 57.1 1Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.232-248 Liverpool Exchange 8,494 52.0 1 Walthamstow West 17,460 65.2 1 Willesden West 26,566 72.2 1 1950 general election Gateshead East 15,249 45.1 1 Leeds Central 24,030 60.8 1 Willesden West 33,963 61.1 1 1951 general election Gateshead East 19,525 57.7 1Labour Party, Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.184-203 Leeds Central 23,967 62.4 1 Willesden West 35,296 64.3 1 1955 general election Gateshead East 21,653 56.5 1Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-275 Willesden West 29,185 61.8 1 1959 general election Bradford North 20,179 46.9 2Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.179-201 Canterbury 15,746 33.8 2 Gateshead East 25,319 58.9 1 1964 general election Ripon 7,341 21.8 3Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.158-180 1966 general election Liverpool Walton 20,590 57.3 1Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.308-330 1970 general election Liverpool Walton 21,452 53.6 1Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.289-312

Leadership General Secretaries 1921: Alexander Gordon Cameron 1926: Frank Wolstencroft 1948: Jack McDermott 1959: George Smith

Assistant General Secretaries 1921: Frank Wolstencroft 1927: Thomas O. Williams 1947: Jack McDermott 1949: George Smith 1959: W. J. Martin 1962: Les Wood

References

External links Catalogue of the ASW archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick