A History of Trade Unionism Among the Carpenters and Joiners of the City and Suburbs of Auckland 1873-1937

Abstract

It is a recognition of the importance of trade unionism in New Zealand that its history is receiving increasing attention. The development of this movement, in which the lives of New Zealand's working people are reflected, has been recorded in a number of theses and other works; and, with the growing complexity of New Zealand's industrial conditions, a clear assessment of the trade unions becomes ever more essential. But while a number of works have outlined the general development of trade unionism from the earliest days of the colony until as recently as 1937, there has been little attention paid to individual unions. Yet their story, though less interesting because more narrow, is nevertheless necessary for that very reason. In order to understand the broader trends and analyse accurately the periods of relatively greater unrest (as, for example, between 1908 and 1913), it is necessary to have a clear picture of the parts which made up the whole process. The history of the Auckland Carpenters' and Joiners' Union emphasises this need.. This organisation grew, in its seventy-six years of recorded history, from a small "protection society" into a strong and militant union - a most remarkable development for an organisation of skilled craftsmen. The reason generally offered to the public is that the union has fallen, to use current journalese, "under Communist domination". Such a gross simplification is no guide to a correct historical perspective. This thesis is an attempt to trace the development of the union and, in doing so, to provide some of the reasons for the present situation among Auckland carpenters.