The union was initially affiliated to the Amalgamated Weavers' Association, then from 1974 to its successor, the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (ATWU). In 1983, it decided to leave the ATWU, and argued that as its largest affiliate, it should be entitled to a proportionate share of the union's funds. The ATWU disagreed, and the dispute went to the High Court of England and Wales, which rejected the Burnley and Nelson union's claim.
