View source for Iron, Steel and Wood Barge Builders and Helpers Association

{{short description|Former trade union of the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox union
| name         = Barge Builders Union
| location_country= [[United Kingdom]]
| affiliation  = [[Trade Union Congress|TUC]], [[General Federation of Trade Unions (UK)|GFTU]]
| members      = 400 (1890)
| full_name    = Iron, Steel and Wood Barge Builders' and Helpers' Association
| native_name  =
| image        =
| founded      = 1872
| dissolved    = 1973
| merged       = [[Transport and General Workers Union]]
| headquarters = 32 Woolwich Road, London
| key_people   = [[William Charles Steadman|Will Steadman]]
| footnotes    =
}}
The '''Iron, Steel and Wood Barge Builders and Helpers Association''' was a [[trade union]] in the [[United Kingdom]].  It was founded in 1872 as the '''Barge Builders Trade Union''', also known as the '''River Thames Barge Builders Trade Union''', and adopted this title in 1940.  Its initial membership was about 90 and rose to 400 by 1890.  The General Secretary from 1879 to 1908 was [[William Charles Steadman]], who was also councillor for [[Stepney]] on the [[London Chamber of Commerce]] and [[Stepney (UK Parliament constituency)|MP for Stepney]]. By 1945 the union's membership had increased to 863,<ref name=GFTU>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=30 September 1949 |title=Statement of Contributions Benefits and Membership |url=http://internetserver.bishopsgate.org.uk/files/GFTU%20Digital%5CGFTU-5-102.pdf |magazine=Quarterly Report |location=London |publisher=General Federation of Trade Unions |access-date=12 May 2016}}</ref> before falling again to 526 in 1967.<ref name="Van Den Bergh">{{cite book |last=Van Den Bergh |first=Tony |date=1970 |title=The Trade Unions—What Are They? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sNZsBQAAQBAJ |location=Oxford |publisher=Pergamon Press |page=246 |isbn=0-08-006516-3}}</ref> The Association merged with the [[Transport and General Workers' Union]] in 1973.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Marsh |first1=Arthur Ivor |last2=Ryan |first2=Victoria |editor-first=John B. |editor-last=Smethurst |title=Historical Directory of Trade Unions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kjtqSQ9DMJQC |accessdate=7 April 2013 |year=2009 |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |isbn= 9780754693239 |page=569}}</ref>
==General Secretaries==
:1879: [[W. C. Steadman]]
:1908: Thomas H. Challis
:1934: T. Nelan
:1947: W. H. Harris
==See also==
{{Portal|Organized labour}}
* [[Transport and General Workers' Union]]
* [[TGWU amalgamations]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iron, Steel And Wood Barge Builders And Helpers Association}}
[[Category:Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Shipbuilding trade unions]]
[[Category:1872 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Trade unions established in 1872]]
[[Category:Trade unions disestablished in 1973]]
[[Category:Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations]]
[[Category:Trade unions based in London]]
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