Iron, Steel and Wood Barge Builders and Helpers Association

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 MP for Stepney. By 1945 the union's membership had increased to 863,[1] before falling again to 526 in 1967.[2] The Association merged with the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1973.[3]

Barge Builders Union

Full name	Iron, Steel and Wood Barge Builders' and Helpers' Association
Founded	1872
Date dissolved	1973
Merged into	Transport and General Workers Union
Members	400 (1890)
Affiliation	TUC, GFTU
Key people	Will Steadman
Office location	32 Woolwich Road, London
Country	United Kingdom

General Secretaries

1879: W. C. Steadman

1908: Thomas H. Challis

1934: T. Nelan

1947: W. H. Harris

See also

• Transport and General Workers' Union
• TGWU amalgamations

References

1. "Statement of Contributions Benefits and Membership" (PDF). Quarterly Report. London: General Federation of Trade Unions. 30 September 1949. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
2. Van Den Bergh, Tony (1970). The Trade Unions—What Are They?. Oxford: Pergamon Press. p. 246. ISBN 0-08-006516-3.
3. Marsh, Arthur Ivor; Ryan, Victoria (2009). Smethurst, John B. (ed.). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. Ashgate Publishing. p. 569. ISBN 9780754693239. Retrieved 7 April 2013.