The Bedstead Workmen's Association was a trade union representing workers making bedframes in the United Kingdom, particularly in the area of Birmingham.
| Founded | 1889 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1961 |
| Headquarters | 17 Stafford Street, Birmingham |
| Location |
|
Members | 2,500 (1899) |
| Affiliations | TUC |
The union was founded following a strike of bedframe workers in Birmingham in 1889. 4,000 workers went on strike, and they succeeded in winning a substantial pay increase. Fearing further industrial action, E. J. Smith of the employers' association agreed with the union to support a closed shop and representation on a joint wages board, in exchange for union members agreeing to only work for members of the employers' association.[1]
This Bedstead Alliance was initially successful, membership of the union growing to 2,500 by 1899. It then began a gradual decline, falling to only 200 in the 1950s.[1] During the 1910s and 1920s, the union was part of the Metal Trades Federation. In 1961, the union was dissolved.[1]
General Secretaries edit
- 1889: Walter Mills
- c.1910: William Palmer
- 1950: R. Eastwood
References edit
- ^ a b c Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria (1984). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. Vol. 2. Aldershot: Gower Publishing. p. 165. ISBN 0566021617.