The UnionBook website.
A new social networking site for trade unionists worldwide has been lanched.
UnionBook shares some features with the likes of FaceBook and MySpace, but unlike them is run by and for union members.
It also doesn’t carry advertising, and promises to respect your privacy at all times when you sign up. But, of course, unlike them it unfortunately doesn’t have quite the same resources.
One feature of the site is a group set up by Canadian trade unionist Derek Blackadder dedicated to “lapel pin/badge collectors and traders”. Derek is currently offering to trade a range of Canadian public service union badges through the group.
You need to register and then log in to see much of the content, including the badge collectors group. But that should not be a barrier.
Click to go to the UnionBook Registration Page or to see the UnionBook Home Page.
Filed under: Announcements |
Trade Union Badge Collectors Society 
I note the the TU badge TIMELINE, denote the earliest TUC badge surviving to be in the UNISON collection and It is for the year 1901.
For about 3 years I have this TUC badge for 1899, the President that year was VJ Vernon of the Typographical Association. It is indentical to the 1899 badge pictured on the TUC web site, I find it difficult to accept that there are not others in collection as well as my example. (pic available on request) maker – Vaugnton of Birmingham
cheers, Dave Cooke, TUBCS member. 17/10/2009.
A call for a 50 year membership ETU lapel badge. I joined the ETU in 1963 & have 20,30,40 ETU badges but 50 yr. has alluded me. Can anyone assist?
regards,
Barrie E.
Never seen one. Does it exist?
Hello Ray, Thanks for your interest. Yes they do exist, as I have seen two around 15 years ago at the WCML in Salford. They now have none catalogued, as of 5th March 2013. The one’s I saw was the standard ETU Lady of Light with a Pink, yes pink scroll running either beneath or atop of the badge, with the script 50 years depicted. THere are others that members of this society have shown me, but because of their rarety the cost is too prohibitive for me. On the 18th of this month I will have been a member of the ETU/Unite for 50 years, but it doesn’t look as if I’m going to be able to wear one.Thankyou.
regards,
Barrie E.
Barrie,
Shows how little I know about what badges I have bought, Having thought about this I did have a vague recollection of a 50 year badge and I have today found 2 50 year EEPTU badges in my boxes. Not the Lady of Light type you describe, but the bigger coat of arms type badge. I will post them on my Facebook page for your to look at. Ray McHale. One is very shiney Gilt and the other is hallmarked silver.. Can’t remember when I bought them.
Ray
Good Morning Ray, Thankyou for your positive input on this particular badge. Yes, you are correct their are 50 year EETPU badges in circulation & here’s one for you; several years since I was at a rally at Albert Sq. Manchester & met an “old” ETU member who was wearing his 60 yr. EETPU badge, I was sure surprised. I am amazed though that the 50 yr. badge is so rare, mind you with shift work & Woodbines & Park Drive cigarettes it’s a wonder Electrician’s lasted until they were 65 years of age. I do know of the name of the symbols of the EETPU badge & as an aside I remember being in the office of Charlie Lovell, the one time PTU Gen. Sec. at Heyes Court in Middlesex where he had to most complete Trades Union badge collection set on Red Baize I have ever seen. We must remember though, with the history of the ETU & the EETPU there was a total embargo on all artifact of the ETU, & that is why you will find very little memorabilia of the ETU in the new Unite museum at Esher Place, which is a shame.
So I await the time when I am able to wear a 50yr. ETU badge, not too long I hope.
regards,
Barrie E.
Hello,
Looking for a little help. I can’t actually work out how to start a post on this site. Is that restricted? If I am missing something it might be worth considering the prominence of such links / information and even a contact link at the top. I don’t know if this accounts for the infrequencey of posts. I hope this will be viewed as a constructive comment – it is certainly intended that way.
I wanted to raise a couple of issues.
1) does anyone know if their is a definitive list of Wapping Dispute Badges? I recently bought a display of badges (regrettably with their pins removed).
2) leads on to the second question. Do people have a view about replacement pins and their impact on badges? There are two aspects to this: Does anyone know a supplier of replacement pins? Many brass badges just have broken pins, and I am not averse to removing pins from worthless badges and using them to replace broken pins. Where more than just the pin is broken e.g. the clip end or the hinge, does anyone have a view about removing these and attaching a new modern pin unit. More recent badges often just have their pin mechanism fixed to the back, and those that have a spike for butterfly fixings don’t seem to me to suffer from the spike being replaced with a pin. I am sure anything other than the first approach is sacrilege for important old badges – but I hate to see badges discarded because of the weaknes of a small piece of brass on the back.
we have just struck numbered GFTU badges (2013). I thought it was the first GFTU badge but would be interested in any earlier GFTU badges that may have been made. Any assistance doug@gftu.org.uk
Hello All,
12th January 2015 & still no 50yr. ETU badge in my possession. Fattorini at their Birmingham headquarters say that the ETU badges sent to them are not Fattorini. Were next?????
Hi, Barry I have a ETU 50 year badge you are looking for? Silver HM
B/ham 1963. this reply won’t let me post a pic of it, cheers, Dave.
Hi Barry, let me have your direct email and I will send a photo of the ETU 50 years badge to you to see if its the one you are looking for.
Its Hall Marked Silver B/ham 1963.
Hello David, Thankyou for your response for some reason I cannot offer my email on the other page, so here it is barrieeckford@btinternet.com Went to the WCML today, they have none in their archive.
Hi, I came across a 50 year EEPTU badge with the lady of light on it when we were renovating a house we bought .
I kept a hold of it not knowing what it was but having a suspicion it was something special .
I have no use for it and wonder if it holds any value?
Hello Kevin, thank you for your message on the 50 year EETPU badge.
They say busses come all together, so to speak, well on Wednesday I happen to go into the WCML at Salford, where curator handed me a 50 year EETPU badge in silver. After thinking her I went onto say ,it was the 50 year ETU badge I’ve always sought for the past 14 or so years, as having been in the union 53 yrs.now. Thanks again Kevin, Keep looking!
Regards,
Barrie E.barrier
But wanna tell that this is very useful, Thanks for
taking your time to write this.
Its May Day 2021 & the ETU 50 year badge has still eluded me. I’ll be a
member of the union for 60 years in 2023.