Andrew Conley (18 December 1881 – 5 June 1952) was a British trade unionist.
Born in Leeds to Irish parents, Conley fought in the Second Boer War. He then worked as a garment maker, and became a branch secretary in the Amalgamated Union of Clothiers Operatives, then national organiser of its successor, the United Garment Workers' Trade Union.
In 1920, various tailors' trade unions merged to form the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers (NUTGW). Although Joseph Young was seen as the obvious choice for its leadership, his health was failing, and he instead supported Conley's successful campaign for the general secretaryship. In post, he focussed on absorbing other unions, arranging mergers with more than 20 before he retired in 1948. He was elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress in 1921, and was its President in 1934, where he led centenary commemorations of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
Conley also supported women's trade unionism, encouraging women tailors to become active in the NUTGW, and he was succeeded as general secretary by Anne Loughlin.
References
- 1939 England and Wales Register
- ^ Report of the annual conference (1952), Labour Party
- ^ Anne J. Kershen, Uniting the Tailors, p. 84
| Trade union offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byNew position | General Secretary of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers 1920–1948 |
Succeeded byAnne Loughlin |
| Preceded byNew position | Clothing Group representative on the General Council of the TUC 1921 – 1949 |
Succeeded byAnne Loughlin |
| Preceded byNew position | Chairman of the Trades Councils' Joint Consultative Committee 1925 – 1934 |
Succeeded byGeorge Hicks |
| Preceded byAlexander Walkden | President of the Trades Union Congress 1934 |
Succeeded byWilliam Kean |
| Preceded byJohn Stokes and Alexander Walkden | Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour 1935 With: Andrew Naesmith |
Succeeded byGeorge Gibson and William Kean |
| Preceded byTonnis van der Heeg | General Secretary of the International Clothing Workers' Federation 1946–1949 |
Succeeded byIan Milner |