{{short description|Former trade union of the United Kingdom}} {{Infobox union |name = Sign and Display Trades Union |location = United Kingdom |affiliations = TUC, P&KTF |num_members = 3,100 (1968)<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Annual Report of the Trades Union Congress |date=1968 |page=37}}</ref> |publisher = |full_name = Sign and Display Trades Union |native_name = |image = |founded = 1917 |dissolved = 1972 |merged_into = National Society of Operative Printers, Graphical and Media Personnel |headquarters = 67 Albert Road, London |key_people = |website = |footnotes = }}
The '''Sign and Display Trades Union''' ('''SDTU''') was a British trade union that existed between 1917 and 1972.
Formed in 1917 as the '''National Union of Sign, Glass and Ticket Writers and Kindred Trades''' it represented workers engaged as a sign, glass, poster or ticket writer, or in any branch of subsidiary and allied trades.<ref name="Warwick_01">[http://dscalm.warwick.ac.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=NaviTree.tcl&dsqField=RefNo&dsqItem=SDT#HERE University of Warwick Archive: SDT] Retrieved December 2010</ref>
The union remained active during World War II. Between 1939-44, correspondence covered general union matters such as wage claims and holiday allowances and a Cinema Poster Trade Joint Agreement was negotiated.
In 1944, the Sign and Display Trades Union signed an agreement of mutual recognition with the National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees (NATKE), acknowledging the demarcation between the two unions in the cinema industry.<ref>[http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/subject_guides/cinema/ University of Warwick Archive: Cinema] Retrieved December 2010</ref>
The National Union of Sign, Glass and Ticket Writers and Kindred Trades changed its name to the Sign and Display Trades Union in 1945.<ref name="TUC_archive">[http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/ead/292a0086.htm University of Warwick Archive: TUC SDTU records] Retrieved December 2010</ref>
In 1949 two other unions, the Northern Glass Workers' Employees' Association and the National Society of Decorative Glass Workers of the United Kingdom, transferred their engagements to the Sign and Display Trades Union.
In 1958 the SDTU was involved in a dispute with Glasgow neon sign manufacturers; ''Laird Neon''. Glasgow University Principal, Hector Hetherington, was appointed as arbitrator.<ref>[http://cheshire.cent.gla.ac.uk/ead/search?operation=full&recid=gb0248dc008-gb0248dc008-471-538 University of Glasgow Archives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813124130/http://cheshire.cent.gla.ac.uk/ead/search?operation=full&recid=gb0248dc008-gb0248dc008-471-538 |date=2011-08-13 }} Retrieved December 2010</ref>
In 1972 the union transferred its engagements to the National Society of Operative Printers, Graphical and Media Personnel.<ref>[http://archiveshub.ac.uk/features/0802natsopa.html NATSOPA Archive] Retrieved December 2010</ref> At this point, it had fewer than 500 members.<ref>John Gennard and Peter Bain, ''A History of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades'', p.41. {{ISBN|978-0-203-99238-8}}, {{ISBN|978-0-415-13076-9}}</ref>
==General Secretaries== :1923–1938: J. G. Copeland :1937–1972: A. C. Torode
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://mrc.epexio.com/records/SDT Catalogue of the SDTU archives], held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Category:Trade unions established in 1917 Category:Trade unions disestablished in 1972 Category:Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Category:1917 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Printing trade unions Category:Trade unions based in London