Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section


The Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section was a British trade union.

History

The union was founded in 1913 by 200 draughtsmen, as the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen. It expanded rapidly, and had more than 14,000 member by the end of the decade. Although it declined during the Great Depression, it retained most of its members by offering unemployment benefit, and by 1939 established a new high of 23,000 members, this rising to 44,000 by the end of World War II and over 75,000 by 1968. From 1960, it accepted technicians in ancillary roles, changing its name to the Draughtsmen's and Allied Technicians' Association.
In 1970, DATA amalgamated with the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers and Constructional Engineering Union to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. The former members of DATA formed the Technical and Supervisory Section of the new union. At the 1973 Representative Council Conference it was agreed to rename it the Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section.
In 1985, after considerable problems within the AUEW, TASS broke away to become an independent union.
TASS absorbed the National Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades in 1981, the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers in 1983, the Association of Patternmakers and Allied Craftsmen in 1984, the Tobacco Workers' Union in 1986, and the National Society of Metal Mechanics in 1987.
In 1988, it merged with the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs to become the Manufacturing Science and Finance Union. MSF in turn merged with the AEEU to form Amicus in 2002. This resulted in TASS and the former AUEW being re-united within one union.

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election from 1950 onwards.
ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1950 general electionBristol West12,67730.02
1950 general electionSouth Buckinghamshire11,38923.92
1951 general electionExeter18,57640.72
1951 general electionSouth Buckinghamshire14,17031.42
1955 general electionBromsgrove22,28744.82
1955 general electionSouth Gloucestershire20,03447.42
1959 general electionGlasgow Cathcart21,16940.82
1959 general electionWembley South12,16632.62
1964 general electionChislehurst20,73641.22
1964 general electionNewark26,17154.41
1964 general electionTynemouth25,89443.72
1966 general electionBarrow-in-Furness23,48560.31
1966 general electionNewark27,40256.71
1968 by-electionBassetlaw21,39449.61
1970 general electionBarrow-in-Furness22,40056.11
1970 general electionBassetlaw28,95954.91
1970 general electionNewark26,45551.21
1970 general electionOldham East17,02051.11
Feb 1974 general electionBarrow-in-Furness19,92546.11
Feb 1974 general electionBassetlaw33,72460.01
Feb 1974 general electionNewark31,58653.81
Feb 1974 general electionOldham East18,54848.21
Oct 1974 general electionBarrow-in-Furness21,60751.41
Oct 1974 general electionBassetlaw28,66353.71
Oct 1974 general electionNewark26,59847.91
Oct 1974 general electionOldham East19,05452.81
1979 general electionBarrow-in-Furness22,68753.21
1979 general electionBassetlaw29,42650.21
1979 general electionDundee West23,65447.31
1979 general electionNewark25,96043.02
1979 general electionOldham East18,24850.71
1983 general electionBarrow-in-Furness17,70734.72
1983 general electionBassetlaw22,23145.61
1983 general electionChorley17,58630.52
1983 general electionDundee West20,28843.41
1983 general electionOldham Central and Royton18,61141.41
1983 general electionPreston21,81046.71
1983 general electionStockport12,73129.02
1983 general electionStockton North18,33937.11
1987 general electionBassetlaw25,38548.11
1987 general electionDundee West24,91653.41
1987 general electionGlasgow Springburn25,61773.61
1987 general electionOldham Central and Royton21,75948.11
1987 general electionStockton North26,04349.21

Leadership

General Secretaries

Assistant General Secretaries

Deputy General Secretaries