Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators

The Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators (ASPD) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1886 and 1970.

Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators
Merged intoAmalgamated Society of Woodworkers and Decorators
Founded1855
Dissolved1970
Headquarters55 South Side, Clapham, London
Location
Members
17,377 (1907)[1]
68,362 (1968)[2]
AffiliationsTUC, ITUC, NFBTO, Labour

History

The union had its origins in the Manchester Alliance of Operative House Painters, founded in 1855, which loosely grouped together local unions based in Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Macclesfield, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Stockport. The union had no executive committee and its general secretary, William MacDonald, did not attempt to control the actions or finances of the local societies, instead devoting his time to writing pamphlets espousing his views on trade unionism and the painting trade.[3]

The union claimed 3,980 members by 1867, but MacDonald's neglectful approach led him to be sidelined as honorary secretary, and replaced by Thomas Sharples, who began issuing regular reports, but made no other changes to the union's practices.[3] The union underwent numerous name changes before emerging in 1886 as the more closely unified National Amalgamated Society of Operative House Painters and Decorators.[4] It merged with the Amalgamated Society of House Decorators and Painters and several smaller unions in 1904, to form the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House and Ship Painters and Decorators (NASOHASPAD). At some point in the 1930s or 1940s, it shortened its name to the National Society of Painters.[5]

In 1961, the union absorbed the Scottish Painters' Society and the Southport and Birkdale Operative House Painters' Association to form the Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators, but in 1970 it merged with the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers, forming the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers and Decorators.[5]

Election results

The union sponsored a Labour Party candidate in several Parliamentary elections.[6]

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
January 1910 general electionHolmfirthWilliam Pickles1,64314.93
1929 general electionKingston upon Hull North WestWilliam Pickles10,70030.12
1931 general electionPudsey and OtleyWilliam Pickles10,01324.02
1935 general electionHuddersfieldWilliam Pickles23,84439.22

General Secretaries
1855: William MacDonald[7]
1866: Thomas Sharples[7]
1890: George Sunley[7]
1910: Joseph Parsonage[7]
1918: J. A. Gibson[7]
1947: Sidney Horsfield
1960s: Albert Austin

References
  1. Report on Trade Unions in 1905-1907. London: Board of Trade. 1909. pp. 82–101.
  2. Annual Report of the Trades Union Congress: 36. 1968. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. Postgate, Raymond (1923). The Builders' History. London: National Federation of Building Trade Operatives. pp. 241–243.
  4. "Records of the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House Painters and Decorators Archived 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine", University of Warwick
  5. "Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators Archived 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine", Archives Hub
  6. Parker, James (2017). Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940 (PDF). Exeter: University of Exeter. p. 125.
  7. Postgate, Raymond (1923). The Builders' History. London: National Federation of Building Trade Operatives. p. 462.
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