New Zealand Seamen's Union, Auckland Branch records.

The New Zealand Seamen's Industrial Union of Workers was formed as the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand in 1880 with branches in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. After a strike in 1890, the Auckland Branch, lacking in leadership ceased to exist and was not re-established until 1897. In the interim a short lived Seamen's and Fireman's Union was formed under the guidance of the Auckland Trades Council. In July 1913, the Union's General Secretary, W.T. Young, was elected President of the newly created United Federation of Labour. Right wing elements in the Union, notably in Auckland and Dunedin, were opposed to Young's association with Red Feds within the Federation and were able to prevent the union affiliating with the new association. With the outbreak of the waterfront dispute in October 1913, the Seamen's Union inevitably became involved, partly because of membership sympathy with the watersiders and because of Young's influence. During the dispute the ship-owners managed to get a scab Seamen's Union going in Auckland, the only one in the country. The Auckland Seamen's and Firemen's Union was formed in November 1913 and existed for about a year, after which its members were gradually absorbed by the Auckland Branch of the Seamen's Union. In 1964 the Auckland Branch's long standing secretary, T. Anderson, who had been in office since 1917, died. Upon his death it was found that he had misappropriated Branch funds over a number of years. In December 1989 the Union amalgamated with the Federated Cooks and Stewards of New Zealand and the North Shore Ferry Employees to form the New Zealand Seafarers Union. Bollinger, Conrad. Against the wind; the story of the New Zealand Seamen's Union. New Zealand Seamen's Union, Wellington. 1968.