The union was founded in 1886 as the
Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives, by the amalgamation of a few small, local unions. This followed the
Oldham weavers' strike of 1885, which had led to non-unionised cardroom workers being
locked out and losing their wages. Affiliates of the union were: The union represented a wide range of workers in the textile industry, and did not discriminate on the basis of occupation or skill. The core of the union's membership were the strippers and grinders, skilled adult male mechanics, who maintained the carding engines. Almost all strippers and grinders were union members. The CWA also organised less skilled female ring spinners and other mill operatives. From 1904 onwards the only members required to have completed an apprenticeship were the strippers-and-grinders. In 1974, the union merged with the
Amalgamated Weavers' Association, to form the
Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union. ==General secretaries==