In 1885, the federation was reconstituted as an amalgamated union named the Amalgamated Slaters of England Provident Society, by which time it was based in Newcastle, and had only a very low membership - just 167 workers in 1887.
[1] In its early years, the union focused on the welfare of its members, and secondarily on regulation of the trade, to prevent too many people competing for work.
Around this time, it changed its name to the Amalgamated Slaters and Tilers Provident Society of England and Ireland, but it generally remained known by its earlier title.
In 1906, R. Wilson was appointed as its first full-time general secretary, but he was unable to aid with recruitment, membership falling below 1,000 by 1910.
[1] The union adopted its final name, the "Amalgamated Slaters', Tilers' and Roofing Operatives' Society", in 1963, then merged into the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers in 1969.