After a dispute at Wellington Mills in Ashton, in 1877, local weavers decided to form a union, establishing it in 1877.
The union was also a founder member of the Amalgamated Weavers' Association (AWA), in 1884.
While it continued to decline, along with the Lancashire cotton industry in general, its secretary Lewis Wright came to prominence as leader of the AWA, and he was later knighted.
The union received a small boost in 1951, when the Manchester, Salford and District Weavers' Association merged in.
[1] In 1972, the union merged with the Hyde and District Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Doublers' Association and the Stockport and District Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Reelers' Association, forming the South East Lancashire and Cheshire Weavers' and Winders' Association.