Description

Admin History:

The Operative Society of Bricklayers was formed in the late 1820s or early 1830s. In 1848 divisions led to a split into two separate unions: the London Order of Operative Bricklayers' Society (soon after renamed the Operative Bricklayers' Society) and the Manchester Unity of Operative Bricklayers' Society.

Although it is not known when the Hull Branch of the Operative Society of Bricklayers was formed it is known to have existed by 1890.

In 1921 the two societies reunited when they amalgamated with the Operative Society of Masons, Quarrymen and Allied Trades of England and Wales to form the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers. A seriesof further mergers took place throughout the second-half of the twentieth century with other related Associations and Society's. In December 1971 the Society changed its name to the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians.

For a full account see Leslie M. Wood, 'A union to build. The story of UCATT' (1979).

Description:

Minutes of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers (formerly the Operative Bricklayers Society), Hull branch (1892-1966). The change in name from the Operative Bricklayers' Society to the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers had no visible impact on the meetings although this is partly hidden by the incomplete nature of the records that have survived.

The Society/Union appears to have served as a liasion between employees and employers and the minutes include numerouc cases where disputes were raised by individual members and then investigated (often inviting the employer to give their account on the issue at hand) before reaching a resolution that all of the members could vote on.

The Society/Union also discouraged its members working for some employers and would summon members who continued to work for specific employers against their recommendation. Individuals who refused to stop working for the employer would then be fined and suspended from the organisation.

Each meeting would also record the number of members currently sick.