Plumbing Trades Union 1863-[1965]

Transcription

1 Plumbing Trades Union 1863-[1965] Administrative history: The Plumbing Trades Union (PTU)was founded in 1865, on the initiative of the Manchester and Liverpool Plumbers' Societies, as the United Operative Plumbers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland (UOPA), initially having members from the Midlands, the North and Scotland. In 1869 a lodge was formed in Bristol and was followed by other lodges in Southern England. In 1872 the Glasgow lodge left to form the United Operative Plumbers' Association of Scotland (UOPAS), and was joined by the other Scottish lodges in Nevertheless, by the turn of the century UOPA had over 10,000 members in 184 lodges, and had absorbed many local societies. The first London lodge was formed in 1880, eventually absorbing the small London local societies. In 1911 the Union changed its name to the United Operative Plumbers' and Domestic Engineers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland (UOPDEA), although it does not appear that domestic engineers were actually admitted at this time and the old name continued to be used by most officials and members. In January 1921 the United Operative Plumbers' Association of Scotland, by then with 1,000 members, merged with the larger union once more. In 1922 it was finally decided to admit men in associated trades as well, and in 1931 the name was changed to the Plumbers, Glaziers and Domestic Engineers' Union. In 1946 the organisation became the Plumbing Trades Union. In 1968 the union merged with the Electrical Trades Union to form the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union. In 1925, Merseyside members, angered by the union's refusal to pay strike pay during a lock-out, seceded to form the National Operative Plumbers and Kindred Trades' Union, known as the 'Liverpool Locals'. These men did not rejoin the main union until December Reference: John French, 'Plumbers in Unity, ' (PTU, 1965). Related material: The Centre also holds papers of the East London Society of Operative Plumbers (/ELSP) and the Plumbers' Trade Society (/PTS), two London local societies that were absorbed into UOPA in the 1880s, as well as the secessionist United Operative Plumbers' Association of Scotland (/SC). It also holds the papers of the PTU's successors, the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union (MSS.387, which includes additional PTU material) and the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (MSS.259).

2 Foundation and constitution 1915 /UO/4/4/3 Jarrow and Hebburn working bye-laws 1915 B/4/1 Rulebooks Policy and administration Executive committee The location of the executive committee was changed periodically and the contemporary location is indicated for each volume of minutes. Related material: [See also /UO/7/3/1-10] /UO/1/1 Minute book: Newcastle Jul 1876-Jan 1877 /UO/1/2 Minute book: Edinburgh May 1877-Jun 1878 /UO/1/3/1-7 Minute book: Newcastle, Feb-Jun 1877; Bolton, Jun 1878-Jan 1879 Includes some loose items /UO/1/4 Minute book: Bolton Feb-Jun 1879 /UO/1/5/1-3 Minute book: Hull Jun 1879-Jun 1880 Includes 2 papers found pinned into the front of the volume. /UO/1/6/1-3 Minute book: Sunderland [Jul?]1880-Mar 1881 Includes 2 reports of deputations, found pinned into the back of the volume. /UO/1/7/1-2 Minute book: Sunderland Apr-Dec 1881 Reports of two deputations to Scotland are posted into the volume. Also includes report of a delegation to establish a South Shields branch. /UO/1/8 Minute book: Sunderland Jan-Jun 1882 /UO/1/9/1-3 Minute book: Birmingham May-Dec 1882 Includes report of delegation to establish Southampton branch, and address from Sunderland Executive Committee with details of new Huddersfield branch on reverse.

3 /UO/1/10 Minute book: Birmingham Dec 1882-Aug 1883 /UO/1/11 Minute book: Manchester May-Oct 1903 /UO/1/12 Minute book: Manchester Oct 1903-Feb 1904 /UO/1/13 Minute book: Newcastle Nov 1917-Dec 1918 /UO/1/14/1-2 Minute book: Newcastle Dec 1918-Feb 1920 Letter loose in the volume. /UO/1/15/1-5 Minute book: Newcastle Jan 1919-Feb 1920 Abbreviated minutes from which the formal minutes were apparently drawn up. Includes some loose papers. /UO/7/3/1-10 Roll (i.e. attendance) book Contains loose papers. District committee minutes, North Wales district /UO/1/16/1-3 Minute book Also includes blank quarterly return of Lodge expenses, in two halves with blank district committee expenses sheets (one for meetings, the other for delegations) on reverse. Delegate meetings: agendas and minutes /UO/4/3/1 Agenda 1880 /UO/4/3/2 Minutes 1880 /UO/4/3/3 Agenda, 6th delegate meeting 1883 /UO/4/3/4 Minutes, 6th delegate meeting 1883 /UO/4/3/5 Minutes, 7th delegate meeting 1888 /UO/4/3/6 Agenda, 8th delegate meeting 1891

4 /UO/4/3/7 Minutes, 8th delegate meeting 1891 /UO/4/3/8 Minutes, 11th delegate meeting 1911 /UO/4/3/9 Minutes, 12th delegate meeting 1912 /UO/4/3/10 Minutes, 13th delegate meeting 1919 Annual reports /UO/4/6 Annual reports Finance Quarterly returns Each contains a full list of members as well as accounts and the corresponding secretary's / general secretary's report. /UO/4/1/1 Quarterly returns rd quarter. /UO/4/1/2 Quarterly returns th quarter. /UO/4/1/3 Quarterly returns th quarter. /UO/4/1/4 Quarterly returns th quarter. /UO/4/1/5 Quarterly returns st quarter. /UO/4/1/6 Quarterly returns th quarter. Auditors' reports (annual) /UO/4/2/1 Auditors' report 1881 /UO/4/2/2 Auditors' report 1889 /UO/4/2/3 Auditors' report 1891

5 Operations Correspondence and subject files /UO/3/1 Birkenhead Locals Fusion of the Birkenhead Lodge of the National Plumbers' Society (NPS) [the Liverpool and vicinity local society] with the Plumbers', Glaziers' and Domestic Engineers' Union (PGDEU). Also the subsequent consideration of superannuation for re-joining members. Correspondence of PGDEU with Birkenhead NPS officers, PGDEU Executive Committee members and the Trades Union Congress (TUC); several proposed agreements, lists of NPS Birkenhead members, minutes of meeting of Executive Committee representatives with PGDEU Birkenhead branch, NPS annual accounts for 1934 (printed). /UO/3/2 National Plumbers' Society (NPS) Fusion of the NPS [the Liverpool locals] with the PTU. Correspondence with PTU and NSP officers; circulars from PTU to NSP members, containing terms of fusion; printed list of NSP members; minutes of abortive 1931 fusion conference organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and minutes of 1936 delegate meeting's discussion of the matter. Most documents date from /UO/3/3 Dispute with Messrs Jenkinsons Enforcement of the PGDEU's agreement with certain chemical engineering contractors about chemical plumbers (leadburners): reference of dispute with Jenkinsons of Sheffield to the National Arbitration Tribunal; submissions to the tribunal, its award, and correspondence. /UO/3/4 Alger's dispute

6 Dispute between the PTU and the National Union of Operative Heating and Domestic Engineers, concerning the recruitment by the latter of members of the former at R Alger & Sons Limited, Newport, Monmouthshire, with the assistance of that employer. Correspondence, duplicated statements of evidence, minutes of a joint committee of inquiry and the National Joint Emergency Disputes Commission, Trades Union Congress (TUC) disputes sub-committee memorandum. /UO/7/1/1-5 Incapacitation benefit , death certificates, 2 bonds for repayment of benefit in the event of recovery, 1 receipt. Agreements 1896 /UO/7/2/1 Proceedings of a conference between the Central Association of Master Builders and the UOPA Conference regarding working with non- Society men, working rules and an advance of wages. Membership s /UO/4/4/1 Travelling card, full member 1880s /UO/4/4/2 Travelling card, half member 1880s /UO/7/4/3 Lapel badge, UOPA Undated Communications and publicity 1926, [1965] /UO/4/6 'Plumbers in Unity: history of the PTU, ' by J C French [PTU] [1965] /UO/7/4/1 Open letter to members of the National Plumbers' Society [the Liverpool and vicinity locals] from the UOPDEA, urging reunification 1926

7 /UO/7/4/2 Open letter to other members of the UOPDEA from the Liverpool No.1 Lodge, protesting against the unconstitutional action of the Executive Committee in supporting the General Strike without first ballotting the members Publications of other organisations 1926 /UO/5/1-3 'Operative Builder', vol.2, nos.1-3 Dec 1922-Jun 1923 /UO/5/4 'Statement on owners' proposals' 1926 Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB). /UO/5/5 Industrial Transference Board, 'Report' 1928 HM Stationery Office (HMSO). /UO/5/6 'Constitution and National Working Rules', National Joint Council for the Building Industry 1932 /UO/7/4/5 'Plumbing apprenticeship' [1960s/1970s] Pamphlet, Plumbing Trades National Apprenticeship Council. /PADEU/9 National agreement as to working rules and conditions Made between the National Association of Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Employers and the National Federation of Plumbers and Domestic Engineers. Press cuttings 1936 /UO/10/1 Paste-in press cuttings book The cuttings deal chiefly with contemporary politics and trade union matters. Also contains manuscript notes on William Ewart Gladstone, written into the book, and a loose typescript diary (i.e. chronology) of the 1922 shipbuilding and engineering dispute.

8 /UO/7/4/4 Printed blank deed of apprenticeship [1960s/1970s] Branch Records Blythe branch /UO/6/BL/1 Minute book /UO/6/BL/2 Letters about collection of contributions 1900 Branch secretary to GO. Brighton branch /UO/6/BR/1 Minute book Colwyn Bay branch /UO/6/1-6 Minute book Includes 5 loose items. /UO/6/7 Contributions allowed book Doncaster branch /UO/6/DO/1 Contributions book /UO/6/DO/2-4 New members' declarations Counterfoil booklets. East London branch Related material: [See also the East London Society of Operative Plumbers] /UO/6/EL/1 /UO/6/EL/2 /UO/6/EL/3 /UO/6/EL/4-5 Letter from George Cherry about branch officials' salaries [2nd page of?] letter from W Beeston about branch officials' salaries and expenses Receipt, in form of letter, for  61 2s sent to GO Letters from George Willing, declaring 'on' and 'off' sick benefit 1889 Undated

9 /UO/6/EL/6 /UO/6/EL/7 Letter from Post Office Savings Bank Department, acknowledging  20 deposit Ticket for Brother G Brown's benefit smoking concert /UO/6/EL/8 Contributions card, blank 1904 /UO/6/EL/9 /UO/6/EL/10 /UO/6/EL/11 Ticket for benefit smoking concert for widow and children of the late Brother J Green Programme and menu, 50th anniversary dinner Programme and menu, complimentary dinner for Brother Doughty, past secretary Exeter branch /UO/6/EX/1 Contributions book Grantham branch /UO/6/GR/1 Minute book Manchester branch /UO/6/MA/1 Sick and funeral benefit fund cash book /UO/6/MA/2-4 Proposition books Preston branch /UO/6/PR/1 Contributions book Torquay branch /UO/6/TO/1 Minute book /UO/6/TO/2-3 Correspondence with branch secretary about old records transmitted to GO Found in minute book [/UO/6/TO/1] /UO/6/TO/4 Proposition book

10 West Central London branch Related material: [See also /PTS/4/1] /UO/6/WC/1 Minute book