253:
foundation until his death in 1952. Croskery worked hard to increase the union's membership, particularly in provincial areas outside
Wellington, and supported the incorporation of all shop employees into one union. A capable administrator and advocate, he was a model arbitrationist union secretary. He had a meticulous approach to clerical and financial matters and invested union funds shrewdly.
30:
252:
Croskery helped to found the
Wellington Retail Soft-goods Employees' Union in February, 1912, and served as its secretary. He also served as Secretary of the Wellington Butchers' Union, Secretary of the NZ Shop Assistants' Federation, and the Wellington Plumbers' and Gasfitters' Union, from their
297:
in London alongside many renowned trade unionists. In 1946, Croskery was elected
President of the Federation of Labour, succeeding Angus McLagan; he held office until his death in 1952. He served as FOL President during a time of difficulty for the labour movement, including the formation of the
256:
From 1913, Croskery was closely involved with the
Wellington Trades and Labour Council and its successor, the Wellington Trades Council, serving as an executive member from 1936 and as vice president from 1939 to 1945. He was also active in the political wing of the labour movement. He stood
289:
from 1935 to 1941. He served as a workers' representative on the Court of
Arbitration from 1937 to 1938. He later served on the Industrial Emergency Council and the Workers' Compensation Board. He became a member of the FOL's executive in 1942 and its vice president in 1943.
280:
In the 1930s, Croskery emerged as a significant figure in the national labour movement. In 1936 he became secretary of the New
Zealand Alliance of Labour, and the following year he played an important role in unifying the various factions to form the
630:
625:
236:, and in 1896 began work as a draper's assistant at James Smith and Sons. He married Emily Clark on 17 December 1902; they were to have ten daughters and three sons. The family lived in
277:
general elections. He was a member of the Labour Party's national executive in 1937–38 and 1939–40, but he always put the interests of his union's members first.
615:
640:
262:
605:
306:. However, colleagues recalled his calm, steadying influence; mediation rather than confrontation was his style. He worked well with FOL Vice-president
600:
635:
310:, and was an exemplary representative for the New Zealand labour movement overseas, serving as a delegate to the World Trade Union Conferences in
645:
610:
342:
in later years. He died in
Wellington on 18 August 1952; Emily had died a year earlier. They were survived by nine daughters and two sons.
396:
401:
319:
274:
270:
224:. He had a brother, William Hugh Croskery. Croskery arrived in New Zealand with his parents in 1880. He attended Queen's College in
562:
282:
42:
240:, where between 1902 and 1911 Croskery ran his own drapery and tailoring business in Riddiford Street, then about 1917 moved to
429:
451:
303:
620:
359:
294:
286:
213:
266:
132:
423:
299:
258:
241:
595:
590:
572:
307:
65:
237:
487:
516:
200:, to Alexander Brown Croskery, (1838–1897), an Irish accountant and provision merchant from
538:
535:
Labour's Path to
Political Independence: the Origins and Establishment of the NZLP 1900–19
334:
A dapper, well-dressed man who was always smoking a pipe, Croskery suffered from chronic
193:
584:
555:
77:
217:
205:
201:
172:
335:
233:
121:
492:
391:
339:
520:
29:
229:
225:
221:
209:
189:
108:
323:
311:
315:
197:
631:
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1922 New
Zealand general election
626:
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New
Zealand general election
496:. Vol. LXXXVIII, no. 26813. 19 August 1952. p. 2.
364:
Index to Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England and Wales
298:
rival New Zealand Trade Union Congress in 1950, the bitter
212:, and Mary Ann Mortimer Thomson, (1850–1925), from
154:
146:
138:
128:
115:
102:
97:
83:
71:
59:
40:
20:
175:draper, political activist and trade unionist
8:
474:
302:, and political opposition from a resurgent
544:
385:
383:
381:
171:(19 December 1878 – 18 August 1952) was a
28:
17:
541:(1980, Oxford University Press, Auckland)
261:on several occasions, and contested the
515:. Upper Hutt: Wright & Carman Ltd.
351:
366:. General Register Office. p. 660
55:13 June 1946 – 18 August 1952
563:President of the Federation of Labour
456:. Government Printer. 1923. p. 2
43:President of the Federation of Labour
7:
616:New Zealand Labour Party politicians
232:from 1894 to 1895. He then moved to
641:New Zealand people of Irish descent
511:Barber, L.H.; Towers, R.J. (1976).
397:Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
14:
606:Wellington Hospital Board members
402:Ministry for Culture and Heritage
320:International Labour Organization
601:Local politicians in New Zealand
283:New Zealand Federation of Labour
513:Wellington Hospital 1847 – 1976
488:"Obituary – Mr. A. W. Croskery"
392:"Alexander Wellington Croskery"
636:Welsh emigrants to New Zealand
285:(FOL). He was a member of the
228:, before working on a farm in
1:
646:Welsh people of Irish descent
263:Wellington Suburbs electorate
188:Croskery was born in 1878 in
169:Alexander Wellington Croskery
295:World Trade Union Conference
611:New Zealand trade unionists
318:in 1949, as well as to the
662:
453:The General Election, 1922
425:The General Election, 1919
569:
560:
552:
547:
293:In 1945, he attended the
287:Wellington Hospital Board
162:
93:
48:
36:
27:
475:Barber & Towers 1976
267:New Zealand Labour Party
300:1951 waterfront dispute
259:Wellington City Council
257:unsuccessfully for the
573:Fintan Patrick Walsh
548:Trade union offices
308:Fintan Patrick Walsh
184:Early life and death
89:Fintan Patrick Walsh
66:Fintan Patrick Walsh
621:New Zealand drapers
422:Hislop, J. (1921).
579:
578:
570:Succeeded by
322:'s conference in
166:
165:
653:
553:Preceded by
545:
524:
498:
497:
484:
478:
472:
466:
465:
463:
461:
448:
442:
441:
439:
437:
430:National Library
419:
413:
412:
410:
408:
387:
376:
375:
373:
371:
356:
106:19 December 1878
98:Personal details
86:
74:
62:
53:
32:
18:
661:
660:
656:
655:
654:
652:
651:
650:
581:
580:
575:
566:
558:
539:Barry Gustafson
531:
529:Further reading
510:
507:
502:
501:
486:
485:
481:
473:
469:
459:
457:
450:
449:
445:
435:
433:
421:
420:
416:
406:
404:
389:
388:
379:
369:
367:
358:
357:
353:
348:
332:
314:in 1945 and in
250:
186:
181:
129:Political party
120:
107:
84:
72:
60:
54:
49:
23:
12:
11:
5:
659:
657:
649:
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
583:
582:
577:
576:
571:
568:
559:
554:
550:
549:
543:
542:
530:
527:
526:
525:
506:
503:
500:
499:
479:
477:, p. 128.
467:
443:
432:. pp. 1–6
414:
390:Hince, Kevin.
377:
350:
349:
347:
344:
331:
328:
304:National Party
249:
246:
194:Glamorganshire
185:
182:
180:
177:
164:
163:
160:
159:
156:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
130:
126:
125:
119:18 August 1952
117:
113:
112:
104:
100:
99:
95:
94:
91:
90:
87:
81:
80:
75:
69:
68:
63:
61:Vice President
57:
56:
46:
45:
38:
37:
34:
33:
25:
24:
21:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
658:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
588:
586:
574:
565:
564:
557:
556:Angus McLagan
551:
546:
540:
536:
533:
532:
528:
522:
518:
514:
509:
508:
504:
495:
494:
489:
483:
480:
476:
471:
468:
455:
454:
447:
444:
431:
427:
426:
418:
415:
403:
399:
398:
393:
386:
384:
382:
378:
365:
361:
360:"Index entry"
355:
352:
345:
343:
341:
337:
329:
327:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
296:
291:
288:
284:
278:
276:
272:
268:
264:
260:
254:
247:
245:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
183:
178:
176:
174:
170:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
134:
131:
127:
124:, New Zealand
123:
118:
114:
110:
105:
101:
96:
92:
88:
82:
79:
78:Angus McLagan
76:
70:
67:
64:
58:
52:
47:
44:
39:
35:
31:
26:
22:Alec Croskery
19:
16:
561:
534:
512:
491:
482:
470:
458:. Retrieved
452:
446:
434:. Retrieved
424:
417:
405:. Retrieved
395:
368:. Retrieved
363:
354:
333:
292:
279:
255:
251:
214:Ballynahinch
187:
168:
167:
85:Succeeded by
50:
15:
596:1952 deaths
591:1878 births
218:County Down
206:County Down
202:Downpatrick
173:New Zealand
142:Emily Clark
73:Preceded by
585:Categories
567:1946–1952
505:References
436:6 December
370:9 February
346:References
336:bronchitis
234:Wellington
155:Occupation
122:Wellington
493:The Press
460:28 August
340:emphysema
326:in 1949.
242:Lyall Bay
179:Biography
51:In office
407:23 April
265:for the
230:Taranaki
226:Auckland
147:Children
521:4179287
269:in the
238:Newtown
222:Ireland
210:Ireland
190:Swansea
111:, Wales
109:Swansea
519:
324:Geneva
312:London
248:Career
158:Draper
139:Spouse
133:Labour
330:Death
316:Paris
198:Wales
517:OCLC
462:2016
438:2014
409:2017
372:2017
338:and
275:1922
273:and
271:1919
116:Died
103:Born
41:2nd
537:by
587::
490:.
428:.
400:.
394:.
380:^
362:.
244:.
220:,
216:,
208:,
204:,
196:,
192:,
150:11
523:.
464:.
440:.
411:.
374:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
