Amalgamated Engineering Union Explained

Amalgamated Engineering Union
Location Country:	United Kingdom
Affiliation:	TUC, CSEU, IMF, Labour
Members:	1,483,400 (1979)^[1]
Founded:	1920
Dissolved:	1 May 1992
Merged:	Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
Headquarters:	110 Peckham Road, London
Publication:	AUEW Journal

The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992.

History

The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society, in 1826, popularly known as the "Old Mechanics". They invited a large number of other unions to become part of what became the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE).^[2]

In 1920, the ASE put out a fresh call for other unions to merge with it in a renamed Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). Seventeen unions balloted their members on a possible merger, and nine voted in favour of amalgamation:

Amalgamated Association of Brass Turners, Fitters, Finishers and Coppersmiths
Amalgamated Instrument Makers' Society
Amalgamated Society of General Tool Makers, Engineers and Machinists
East of Scotland Brass Founders' Society
London United Metal Turners', Fitters' and Finishers' Society
North of England Brass Turners', Fitters' and Finishers' Society
Steam Engine Makers' Society (SEM)
United Kingdom Society of Amalgamated Smiths and Strikers
United Machine Workers' Association

The resulting union had a membership of 450,000,^[3] about 300,000 coming from the ASE.^[4]

In 1922 employers, represented by the Engineering Employers' Federation, launched an industry-wide lockout in an attempt to reverse the gains made by the AEU during WWI and its aftermath.^[3] Exploiting the downturn in economic conditions in the engineering industry, they demanded the union forfeit control over overtime. The lockout lasted from 11 March to 13 June and involved 260,000 workers, 90,000 of them represented by the AEU. The lockout ended with the union conceding some of the employers' demands.^[3]

The AEU continued to grow and absorb smaller unions. From 1926, it accepted members who had not completed an apprenticeship. In 1933, it had 168,000 members, and 390,900 by the end of the decade. Its largest membership growth came during the Second World War when its all-male membership voted to admit women for the first time and 100,000 joined almost immediately, membership reaching 825,000 by 1943. It admitted women due to the increasing role of female industrial workers in the British home front, as well as to prevent either female workers joining rival unions or non-union female workers from undercutting union wages.^[5] However, during World War II the AEU also lost its overseas branches in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, which became independent unions.

From the 1940s, the AEU also absorbed various smaller unions: the Amalgamated Society of Glass Works Engineers, Amalgamated Society of Vehicle Builders, Carpenters and Mechanics, Amalgamated Machine, Engine and Iron Grinders' and Glaziers' Society, Leeds Spindle and Flyer Makers' Trade and Friendly Society, United Operative Spindle and Flyer Makers' Trade and Friendly Society, and the Turners', Fitters' and Instrument Makers' Union.^[6]

The AEU merged with the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers (AUFW) on 1 January 1968 to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers (AEF), and with the Draughtsmen and Allied Technicians' Association (DATA) and Constructional Engineering Union in 1971 to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW). The union was now organised on a federal basis, with four sections: Engineering, Foundry, Construction, and Technical, Administrative and Supervisory (TASS). This approach was not a success, as the various sections fell into dispute with each other. In 1984, the Engineering, Foundry and Construction Sections were merged and in 1986 adopted the name Amalgamated Engineering Union once more, while the TASS remained separate and, in 1988, it became entirely independent of the union once more.^[7]

Despite this series of amalgamations, declines in the number of workers in heavy industry saw membership drop from a peak of 1,483,400 in 1979, to 858,000 in 1986. The AEU became a mainstay of the moderate right in the trade union movement through the 1980s and 1990s, leading the manufacturing unions in 1989 - 1991 in a successful push for a shorter working week, but failing to merge with a number of unions, notally the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians.

In 1992 the AEU finally achieved a merger with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, EETPU, after a hundred years of off and on discussions.^[8] The new union took the name Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.^[9]

Election results

Like the ASE before it, the AEU affiliated to the Labour Party, sponsoring candidates at each election, many of whom won seats in Parliament.

Votes	Percentage	Position
10,958	55.7	1^[10]
8,834	42.4	2
3,035	13.6	3
4,502	21.9	3
16,397	64.5	1
8,407	45.1	1
18,795	43.8	1
11,654	43.9	1
12,312	55.6	1
8,359	31.4	2
15,774	38.8	1
7,578	21.6	3
10,603	47.6	2^[11]
9,550	39.8	2
9,581	38.3	2
9,138	50.6	1^[12]
10,735	64.4	1
16,689	41.1	2
11,527	43.2	2
12,492	59.9	1
13,525	32.6	2
14,562	59.2	1^[13]
11,614	53.1	1
12,875	56.1	1
26,871	50.6	1^[14]
19,193	63.1	1
17,555	59.3	1
18,176	60.5	1
30,074	39.8	2^[15]
15,835	43.2	2^[16]
25,419	58.7	1^[17]
20,409	65.2	1
19,992	58.5	1
17,398	42.3	2^[18]
16,262	65.2	1
12,034	55.6	1
25,197	62.0	1
26,164	53.4	1^[19]
21,935	55.2	1
25,705	44.4	2^[20]
25,943	52.7	1
34,897	55.1	1
22,490	60.1	1
21,833	48.5	1
21,339	51.6	1
16,860	35.9	2
31,832	59.1	1
25,484	44.9	1
27,107	53.9	1
18,353	40.5	2^[21]
26,678	51.2	1
36,023	58.4	1
15,334	28.6	2
20,872	49.3	2
23,823	64.8	1
23,743	52.8	1
22,357	54.1	1
31,374	58.3	1
27,343	49.6	2
29,123	57.9	1
17,352	30.9	2
20,893	44.9	2
19,722	42.1	2^[22]
17,170	40.8	2
24,216	48.7	1
30,232	56.6	1
15,543	43.9	2
13,652	34.6	2
19,414	46.5	1
24,576	52.8	1
29,299	57.9	1
24,928	48.5	2
25,207	57.2	1
16,612	44.5	2
22,133	44.7	1
27,675	57.0	1^[23]
22,935	46.4	2
27,942	51.1	1
25,598	50.5	1
24,690	53.7	1
14,483	43.1	2
13,827	34.0	2
20,456	49.8	2
25,878	54.9	1
31,041	57.4	1
18,310	34.8	2
21,689	41.5	1
22,285	52.7	1
18,292	43.0	2
17,982	46.7	2
18,909	61.1	1
17,905	43.6	1^[24]
21,030	42.9	2
25,244	56.8	1
23,845	49.9	1
32,948	55.6	1
24,373	49.2	1
26,633	64.5	1
27,036	61.6	1
17,816	43.0	1
22,968	50.5	1
32,932	56.0	1
26,318	52.9	1
22,927	46.7	1
20,490	55.5	1
18,041	48.0	1
30,904	73.0	1
19,458	54.7	1
14,224	31.5	2
39,841	60.4	1
21,727	55.4	1^[25]
25,583	60.4	1
29,753	73.3	1
25,777	56.7	1
32,988	52.2	1
26,422	58.6	1
27,628	69.6	1
27,320	61.8	1
22,039	55.0	1
24,391	56.3	1
36,901	62.8	1
28,074	60.0	1
24,481	52.4	1
19,237	59.2	1
30,290	75.4	1
17,367	65.3	1
39,744	65.2	1
27,707	62.1	1^[26]
20,141	52.1	1
24,200	57.0	1
28,985	70.9	1
22,658	50.7	1
20,626	49.1	1
28,524	64.8	1
26,492	57.4	1
20,341	49.3	2
21,618	51.8	1
16,403	33.9	2
9,234	28.7	2
34,873	52.5	1
25,429	54.1	1
19,247	41.6	1
16,986	54.3	1
21,131	37.2	2
16,572	42.7	2
28,183	68.5	1
17,367	61.3	1
39,065	61.3	1
14,411	32.7	1
23,193	47.7	1^[27]
22,381	43.3	1
16,786	29.5	2
21,108	50.4	1
20,147	33.5	2
25,440	40.3	1
27,401	61.1	1
30,496	63.9	1
23,041	47.9	1
17,100	33.7	2
27,269	55.2	1
21,035	52.3	1
18,215	35.2	2
19,436	42.1	1
38,369	49.3	1
23,820	48.4	1
14,761	52.8	1
16,808	51.3	1
28,537	66.3	1
16,999	54.8	1
41,811	62.0	1
23,130	50.9	1^[28]
22,841	49.1	1
21,642	54.8	1
27,290	44.1	1
27,123	67.0	1
26,489	59.5	1
22,177	51.3	1
15,137	32.7	2
27,620	61.9	1
19,737	50.9	1
20,669	49.6	1
38,956	53.3	1
21,368	44.8	1
17,339	36.8	2
14,155	58.5	1
17,112	57.2	1
15,708	58.8	1
37,180	58.1	1
26,771	59.3	1^[29]
25,069	50.9	1
20,172	50.8	1
28,546	43.0	2
26,708	61.3	1
27,010	57.3	1
22,184	48.9	1
28,776	61.2	1
14,688	51.6	1
25,718	52.6	1
21,290	49.4	1
20,346	50.4	1
41,466	51.4	1
16,878	34.3	2
14,556	54.2	1
18,411	61.5	1
16,299	56.9	1
38,214	55.1	1
19,262	47.0	1^[30]
22,190	47.8	1
21,154	42.0	1
16,177	39.7	1
22,981	48.3	1
18,989	52.0	1
20,250	43.6	1
15,860	34.0	2
20,132	48.1	1
25,334	47.9	1
21,373	53.7	1
22,423	52.0	1
26,615	50.1	1
13,517	57.8	1
17,403	56.3	1
24,145	54.7	1
21,186	37.8	2^[31]
3,437	14.9	3
26,266	51.2	1
21,104	49.3	1
22,325	37.4	2
23,239	63.1	1
23,713	48.5	1
27,454	69.9	1
22,476	52.4	1
28,989	53.7	1
22,555	58.8	1
25,872	67.7	1
28,425	53.4	1
23,131	63.0	1
32,709	56.8	1
18,845	47.0	1
21,459	44.5	2
27,795	54.3	1
14,170	43.4	1
22,210	44.8	1
27,517	77.5	1
23,031	60.2	1
27,933	63.9	1
20,327	60.0	1
22,764	68.7	1
28,005	55.7	1
31,930	57.9	1
22,328	67.2	1

Leadership

General Secretaries

AEU

1921: Albert Smethurst

1933: Fred A. Smith

1943: Benjamin Gardner

1956: Cecil Hallett

1965: Jim Conway

AEF/AUEW

Year	Construction	Engineering	Foundry	TASS
1968	Created 1971	Jim Conway	William Simpson	Created 1971
1971	Eddie Marsden		William Simpson	George Doughty
1974			Bob Garland	Ken Gill
1975		John Boyd
1976	John Baldwin	John Boyd
1982	John Baldwin	Gavin Laird
1984	Gavin Laird

AEU

1988: Gavin Laird

Presidents

1920: James Thomas Brownlie

1931: William Harold Hutchinson

1933: John C. Little

1939: Jack Tanner

1953: Robert Openshaw

1956: William Carron

1968: Hugh Scanlon

1978: Terry Duffy

1986: Bill Jordan

External links

Catalogue of the AEU, AEF, and AUEW archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Catalogue of further AUEW archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Catalogue of the AUEW Construction Section archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Catalogue of the AEF/AUEW Foundry Section archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick

Notes and References

James C. Docherty and Sjaak van der Velden, Historical Dictionary of Organized Labor, pp.24-25
Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of British Trade Unions, vol.3, pp.12-16
Book: Haydu, Jeffrey . 1988 . Between Craft and Class: Skilled Workers and Factory Politics in the United States and Britain, 1890-1922 . University of California Press . 168 . 9780520060609.
Book: Jefferys . James B. . The Story of the Engineers . 1970 . Reprints in Social and Economic History . Edinburgh . 171 - 191.
Book: Thorpe, Andrew . A History of the British Labour Party . 1997 . Macmillan Education UK . 978-0-333-56081-5 . London . en . 10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0.
Web site: Amalgamated Engineering Union and successors . Modern Records Centre . University of Warwick . 28 November 2020.
Chris Cook, The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945, pp.223-224
Book: Lloyd, John . 1990 . Light and Liberty: A History of EEPTU . Weidenfeld and Nicolson . 9780297796626 .
Book: Smethurst . John B. . Carter . Peter . 2009 . Historical Directory of Trade Unions: Including unions in building and construction, agriculture, fishing, chemicals, wood and woodworking, transport, engineering and metalworking, government, civil and public service, shipbuilding, energy and extraction in the United Kingdom and Ireland . 6 . Farnham, Surrey . Ashgate Publishing . 978-0-7546-6683-7 . 11 December 2013.
Appendix III: List of sanctioned candidates, June, 1922 . Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party . 1922 . 116 - 126. . 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.
Candidate was listed as sponsored but not attached to any specific constituency in: By-elections . Candidates and Constituencies . 1922 . 62 - 63.
Book: Jefferys . James B. . The Story of the Engineers . 1970 . Reprints in Social and Economic History . Edinburgh . 230.
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
List of Labour Candidates and Election Results, May 30th, 1929. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party . 1929 . 24 - 44.
Parliamentary by-elections . Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference . 1931 . 16 - 28.
List of Endorsed Labour candidates and election results, October 27, 1931. Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference . 1931 . 11 - 27.
List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935 . Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party . 1935 . 8 - 23.
List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, July 26th, 1945. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party . 1945 . 232 - 248.
Sponsor assumed to be the same as at the 1950 UK general election
List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950 . Report of the Forty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party . 1950 . 179 - 198.
List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, 25th October, 1951 . Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party . 1951 . 184 - 203.
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]
Book: General Election Guide . 1983 . BBC Data Publications . 094635815X.
News: AEU sponsored MPs show the way in the general election . AEU . 1987.