The National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA) was a British trade union. History Formed as part of the New Unionism movement in September 1889, the union was originally named the Printers' Labourers' Union and was led by George Evans. In 1899, it was renamed the Operative Printers' Assistants Union, and in 1904 it became the National Society of Operative Printers' Assistants, taking the acronym NATSOPA for the first time. In 1911, it assumed its long-term name, the "National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants". By this point, it had 4,722 members, and it grew rapidly, having 25,000 members in 92 branches by 1929. In 1966, the union merged with the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers, becoming Division 1 of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT), but in 1970 the failure to agree a common rulebook led to Division 1 leaving to become the National Society of Operative Printers and Media Personnel. In 1972, it merged with the Sign and Display Trade Union, and in 1982 it again merged with SOGAT, on this occasion the merger proving successful. Election results The union sponsored George Isaacs as a Labour Party candidate in each general election and two by-elections between 1918 and 1955. Leadership General Secretaries 1889: George Evans 1890: Thomas O'Grady 1897: Michael Vaughan 1898: Eddie Smith 1909: George Isaacs 1948: Harry Good 1951: Richard Briginshaw 1975: Owen O'Brien Presidents 1889: James Keep 1891: Frederick Quinn 1893: James Keep 1898: Eddie Smith 1899: Harry Cook 1901: J. B. Sullivan 1904: George Cullen 1905: J. B. Sullivan 1907: James Keep 1910: A. Bispham 1917: J. C. Mead 1920: George T. Bevan 1929: William Plunkett Footnotes References Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions James Moran, Natsopa: Seventy-five Years External links Catalogue of the Natsopa archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick 1889 establishments in the United Kingdom 1975 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Printing trade unions Trade unions established in 1889 Trade unions disestablished in 1982 Trade unions based in London