The Yorkshire Miners' Association was a British trade union. It is now an integral part of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
History The union was founded in 1881 with the merger of the South Yorkshire Miners' Association, and the West Yorkshire Miners' Association, agreed only because both organisations were weakened by unsuccessful disputes. In order to save money, it moved away from its predecessors' focus on paying benefits to members who were unable to work, and instead aimed to improve working conditions.Carolyn Baylies, The History of the Yorkshire Miners, 1881-1918, pp.61-62 This proved immediately successful, as the union obtained a 10% rise in wages in 1882, and membership grew to over 20,000.Carolyn Louise Baylies, The History of the Yorkshire Miners, 1881-1918, pp.74-75
In 1994, the union's members were transferred to the national body, the NUM.Trade Union Certification Officer, "Mergers decision: National Union of Mineworkers (Yorkshire Area) proposed transfer of engagements to National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)", 19 May 1994
Officials General secretaries 1881: Benjamin Pickard 1904: William Parrott 1906: John Wadsworth 1923: Samuel Roebuck 1924: Joseph Jones 1939: Ernest Jones 1954: Fred Collindridge 1964: Sid Schofield 1973: Owen Briscoe 1986: Sammy Thompson 1988: Kenneth Homer 2002: Steve Kemp 2007: Chris Kitchen
Presidents 1881: Edward Cowey 1904: John Wadsworth 1906: Herbert Smith 1938: Joe Hall 1952: Alwyn Machen 1960: Sam Bullough 1973: Arthur Scargill 1982: Jack Taylor 1990: Frank Cave? 1990s: Steve Kemp
Vice presidents 1881: George Cragg 1889: John Wadsworth 1904: Herbert Smith 1906: John Guest 1919: Edward Hough 1945: Fred Collindridge 1954: Sam Bullough 1961: Jack Leigh 1978: Jack Taylor 1982: Sammy Thompson 1986: 1990s: Ken Capstick
References