New Zealand Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Authorities Employees' Union records.

Horse-drawn trams in Auckland commenced running on August 11, 1884 and were operated by a private company (Barr, 1922, p.146). An electrically operated service was inaugurated on November 24 1902, by a private company and this service was taken over by the City Council on July 1, 1919 (Barr, 1922, p. 204).

The Auckland Electric Tramways Union was established in 1902 following the inauguration of the electrified service in that year (NZ Tramways Union, 1952, p.21). The earliest records of that union are not included in the collection, unfortunately, and few conclusions can be drawn about the establishment of the union and its relation to any earlier unions.

However, two ledgers of members and their contributions exist for the years 1900-1901. The larger unboxed one has the spine title Auckland Tramway Employees' Association. It is for the year 1901 and lists 104 members of whom no. 69 is S. Rosser who conceivably is related to Arthur Rosser, the prominent Auckland unionist shortly to become secretary of the union. The other ledger of members is unnamed and lists 109 members. Many of the entries begin with an iniation fee [sic] dated February 12; that for G. Glynn, however, usefully gives the year as 1900. The members listed in both books are the same suggesting therefore that in 1900 an Auckland Tramway Employees' Association was established. The absence of fuller records for the period, including the first minutes of the Auckland Electric Tramway Union which in 1902 would have supplanted any earlier organisations, prevent further speculation. It is established, however, that the men working the horse-drawn trams in Auckland were organised to some degree prior to the establishment of the Auckland Electric Tramways Union.

The union negotiated its first award in 1904 and this included a clause which required no discrimination against union members. From 1906 Arthur Rosser was the union's secretary and in 1908 the union struck over the summary dismissal of a conductor (NZ Tramways Union, 1952, p. 22). A large framed photograph of the union taken at the time of the strike is part of the collection.

At the committee meeting of October 24 1912, Rosser resigned the secretaryship of the union (Box 5). There was clearly some sort of struggle, either of personalities or of policies, for at the committee meeting of January 1912 there was a complaint of bickering and factions within the union and Rosser and Richardson (the President) were urged to sink all differences, and personal matters, and that the hatchet should be buried (Box 2). By August, however, the union was seeking a full-time paid secretary (Rosser was contracted to several unions) and H. Carter of Masterton was appointed. However, at the special general meetings held on September 10, it was clear that it was a controversial move, the constitutional legality of which was challenged by a faction keen to retain Rosser's services. Richardson himself was defeated at the presidential elections the following year.

It may be, however, that the controversy involved more than personalities and reflected the larger debate of the moderates and militants which at that time was pre-occupying the whole labour movement. Certainly as early as 1908 the committee had received correspondence from the Miners' Federation urging a federation of all worker organisations. (Box 2). By 1911 the union was receiving deputations of P. Fraser, H. Scott-Bennett, and W. Parry urging affiliation with the militant Federation of Labour; and W.T. Mills of the moderate Trades and Labour Council's rival Employees of New Zealand Federation. (Box 2). On August 11 1911, the famous Tom Barker moved That this union decide to federate with the New Zealand Federation of Labour, and that a ballot of all members be taken ... (Box 2). The move was successful and the union cancelled its registration under the IC and A Act and joined the Red Feds.

Richardson and Rosser participated actively as Auckland Tramways Union delegates at the May 1912 annual conference of the Federation of Labour (Maoriland worker, 1912).

The union's relationship with the militant Red Fed seems to have been an uneasy one. Fraser and other FOL representatives attended meetings of the union and clearly were a guiding influence when questions of industrial action were discussed. On November 7 1912, a letter from the FOL was considered to be of an insulting nature (Box 2). Two delegates attended the second July Unity Congress at which the militants and moderates within the Labour movement established the United Federation of Labour and the Social Democratic Party. The 1913 unity congresses followed the Government's defeat of the Red Feds at Waihi the previous year by the use of police power and a scab arbitration union. Worse was to come with the defeat of the 1913 general strike by Massey and his "cossacks". However, even before that affiliation with the UFL it was decisively defeated by 152 for and 328 against. There is no indication in these records of a rival scab union being formed and the union in fact did not re-register under the IC and A Act until 1916 (NZ Tramways Union, 1952, p. 25).

In 1927 the provision of public passenger transport was taken from the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Transport Board was established. On 5 May 1927, the union cancelled its registration and although the union maintained a continuing existence its registration as the Auckland Transport Board's Tramway and Omnibus Employees Union is not listed in the Department of Labour's returns until 1931.

In 1906, a national federation of tramways unions was established in Wellington and the original minute book is part of this collection. At this time the department did not list registered unions and associations. In later years, however, the NZ Federated Tramway employees Industrial Association of Workers was listed with little variation in title until 1933. In 1940, the New Zealand Tramway Authorities Employees Industrial Union of Workers was listed in the department's returns and since then, a national union has been in continuous existence with the former local unions as branches.

Bibliography Barr, J. (1922) The city of Auckland, New Zealand, 1840-1920. Auckland: Whitcombe and Tombs. NZ Tramways Union, Auckland Branch. (1952) Souvenir programme marking the 50th jubilee celebrations of the Auckland Tramways Union, Saturday, October 4th, 1952. Auckland: National Printing Co. 1912 NZ Federation of Labor conference, 4th, Wellington, 1912, Report of proceedings (1912). Maoriland worker.

List of known nation organisations: NZ Federated Tramway Employees Industrial Association of Workers, 1906-1929; NZ Federated Tramway and Local Authorities Omnibus Employees Industrial Association of Workers, 1930-1933; NZ Tramways Authorities Industrial Union of Workers, 1940-1950; NZ Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Authorities Employees Industrial Union of Workers, 1951 -.

List of known Auckland organisations: Auckland Tramway Employees Association, 1900-1901; Auckland Electric Tramway Industrial Union of Workers, 1902-1916; Auckland Tramways Industrial Union of Workers, 1917-1926; Auckland Municipal Tramways and Omnibus Employees Industrial Union of Workers, 1931-1939; Auckland Branch, NZ Tramway Authorities Employees Industrial Union of Workers, 1940-1950; Auckland Branch, NZ Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Authorities Employees Industrial Union of Workers, 1951-