The union was founded in 1887, following a conference organised by Edward Trow of the Amalgamated Malleable Ironworkers of Great Britain, which had been in decline for many years.
[1] Trow organised a conference in Manchester, where attendees represented 40,000 iron and steel workers.
In order to minimise regional rivalries, its rules stated that the president must come from South Staffordshire, and the vice-president from Lancashire.
[1] In contrast to the earlier union, the Associated also sought to unionise workers in the rapidly growing steelworks, and it had particular success in attracting contractors to join.
[2] In 1891, the Malleable Ironworkers was wound up, and its few remaining members transferred to the Associated, with membership reaching 10,000 in 1892.