What is the ILWU?

The ILWU is a labor union. A union is a group of workers who join together in order to have a voice on the job, secure and protect workplace rights and benefits not protected by laws, and to level the playing field for workers in dealing with powerful employers.

What does the acronym “ILWU” stand for? What does “Local 142” mean?

ILWU stands for International Longshore and Warehouse Union. The ILWU is headquartered in San Francisco and has many regional or industrial subdivisions called “Locals.” The Hawaii-region Local is Local 142. Local 142 includes all 20,000+ ILWU members statewide except for security guards belonging to ILWU Local 160.

How do I join the ILWU?

If you are hired into a bargaining unit position at a company that has a collective bargaining agreement with the ILWU, you are eligible for membership in the ILWU. If you are at a company that does not have a contract with the ILWU, and you and your fellow workers want to join the union, you can ask that the ILWU be recognized as your collective bargaining representative. To find out how that is done, call the organizing department of the ILWU at (808) 949-4161.

What are the benefits of belonging to the ILWU?

There are many benefits of belonging to the ILWU, but briefly:

• You are not alone. When workers do not belong to a union the company has all the power and control. With a union, and the strength in numbers that brings, each individual worker does not need to fight unfairness on his or her own.

• You have a contract—a signed legal document that spells out worker rights and benefits and must be followed. How much you get paid, how many days of paid vacation, your medical plan, etc. cannot be changed at management's whim or because a supervisor doesn't like you. The company cannot fire you “just because they feel like it,” or if they don’t like you personally.

• You have help with problems on the job. Every ILWU member has a Business Agent assigned to help them when their rights or the contract is being violated by the company. The ILWU has a social worker and a contract administrator on staff to oversee membership services, contract negotiations and grievances.

• You have the power and responsibility: to make proposals on what should be in your contract, to choose your leaders, to have a say in union meetings. The ILW U is a democratic union, and everyone’s input is important. Rank-and-file members vote on whether or not to accept their contract, on how much dues are paid, on who will serve as their unit, division, local, and international officers, and more.

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