ILWU
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is a member-governed labor union founded in 1937 that represents approximately 42,000 workers across the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada through collective bargaining, organizing, and worker representation in longshore, maritime, supply chain, and related industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ILWU does
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) is a private, member-governed labor union founded in 1937, headquartered at 1188 Franklin Street in San Francisco, California. It represents approximately 42,000 workers across the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada through a federated structure of locals (e.g., Local 10, Local 13, Local 23, Local 142), divisions (Coast Longshore, Hawaii Longshore, Inlandboatmen's Union, American Radio Association), and the Pacific Coast Pensioners Association. Its primary functional offering is collective bargaining representation under long-standing agreements such as the Pacific Coast Longshore and Clerks' Agreement (PCL&CA) with the Pacific Maritime Association, alongside grievance and arbitration handling, a hiring hall for fair work distribution, legal representation, ILWU-PMA pension and benefit plans, and political action.
ILWU's service portfolio is delivered through an organizing and education infrastructure rather than a commercial technology stack. Core operational assets include the ILWU Library and Archives (a digital collection of The Dispatcher newspaper, Voice of the Federation, and The Waterfront Worker), The Docker Podcast produced by rank-and-file longshore workers, and structured leadership pipelines such as the LEAD Institute, GAP (Grievance and Arbitration) Workshops, Young Workers Conference, Women's Conference, and Secretary-Treasurers Conference. The Supply Chain, Logistics, and Transport (SCLT) program extends representation down the supply chain, and the Walk the Coast sub-brand coordinates an annual fundraiser that has generated over $1.3 million for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
ILWU is a non-profit organization funded primarily through recurring member dues. Its go-to-market model is organizing-driven: ILWU grows by building organizing committees, filing for NLRB certification, executing strikes, and bargaining first contracts while pursuing unfair labor practice charges. There is no public product pricing, no commercial software offering, no disclosed API, and no parent organization. The union operates through five regional offices (San Francisco HQ, Seattle, San Pedro, Vancouver BC, and Hawaii) and coordinates internationally with the ILA, IDC, ITF, and MUA.
ILWU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ILWU
- Legal name
- International Longshore and Warehouse Union
- Website
- https://ilwu.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is a member-governed labor union founded in 1937 that represents approximately 42,000 workers across the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada through collective bargaining, organizing, and worker representation in longshore, maritime, supply chain, and related industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ILWU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Labor Union Representation Services
- NAICS
- Professional Employer Organizations (561330)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pay Card Programs & Earned Wage Access (EWA) Administration (BPACAIAK)
Keywords
Where ILWU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
ILWU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Member Dues: ILWU generates revenue through membership dues paid by workers across all locals. Dues support union operations, organizing, collective bargaining, member services, and political action.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
ILWU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ILWU is a labor union that represents approximately 42,000 workers across longshore, warehouse, maritime, hospitality, airport security, and supply chain logistics occupations on the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada. It provides collective bargaining under agreements such as the Pacific Coast Longshore and Clerks' Agreement, grievance and arbitration handling, hiring hall work distribution, pension and benefit administration, member education programs (LEAD Institute, GAP Workshops), and political action and advocacy, funded through member dues.
Product overview
ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) is a labor union representing workers in longshore, warehouse, and related industries across the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Canada, and Alaska. The union does not offer commercial technology products or software services. Its offerings to members include representation, collective bargaining, education and training programs (such as GAP Workshops and the LEAD Institute), a newspaper (The Dispatcher), an archive of historical materials, and community initiatives like the Walk the Coast fundraiser benefiting Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Walk the Coast: Annual fundraising drive organized by the ILWU to support Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for pediatric cancer research.
- The Dispatcher
- LEAD Institute
Products and services
- ILWU Union Membership and Collective Bargaining Representation Core service offering of ILWU providing approximately 42,000 workers across longshore, warehouse, maritime, hospitality, airport security, and supply chain logistics occupations with collective bargaining representation under agreements such as the Pacific Coast Longshore and Clerks' Agreement (PCL&CA), grievance and arbitration handling, hiring hall work distribution, and member services. Funded through recurring membership dues.
- ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans Pension and benefit plans jointly administered by ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association, providing health, welfare, and pension coverage for represented longshore workers and their families.
Quantifiable outcome
- ILWU Walk the Coast has generated over $1.3 million in donations for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation pediatric cancer research
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ILWU
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ILWU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ILWU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- International Longshoremen's Association (ILA)coreILWU joined hundreds of dockworkers, seafarers, and transportation workers from over 60 countries at the 'People over Profit: Anti-Automation Conference' organized by ILA and International Dockworkers Council (IDC) in Lisbon. Both unions share opposition to port automation and committed to building global alliance to protect jobs.
- International Dockworkers Council (IDC)coreILWU participated in IDC-coordinated global anti-automation conference. IDC General Coordinator Dennis Daggett co-leads the global alliance effort with ILA. Conference passed resolution opposing automation that results in job losses.
- International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)coreILWU participates in ITF Dockers' Section Occupational Safety and Health Working Group. Maritime unions worldwide coordinate through ITF to address shared employer strategies and international solidarity.
- Maritime Union of Australia (MUA)coreILWU supported MUA during the 1998 Patrick's dispute by refusing to unload cargo from Australian ships loaded by non-union workers. Australian courts later ruled the firing of MUA members illegal. Ongoing international solidarity relationship.
- Pacific Maritime Association (PMA)coreKey employer association with which ILWU bargains the Pacific Coast Longshore and Clerks' Agreement (PCL&CA). PMA donated $10,000 to ILWU Walk the Coast's Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation fundraiser and committed to encouraging member companies to participate.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ILWU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- International Longshoremen's Association (ILA): East Coast sister longshore union representing approximately 85,000 dockworkers at Atlantic and Gulf ports. ILA is ILWU's most direct U.S. counterpart in longshore collective bargaining and is a core ILWU ally in the global anti-automation alliance.
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT): One of the largest U.S. labor unions with significant membership in port trucking, warehouse, and logistics—overlapping directly with ILWU's SCLT supply chain organizing footprint and competing for the same non-union logistics workers.
Broad incumbents
- International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF): Global federation of transport worker unions coordinating across maritime, dock, aviation, and road transport. ILWU participates in the ITF Dockers' Section and OH&S Working Group, making ITF the closest global institutional peer.
- Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA): Large North American construction and public-sector labor union. Adjacent in mission (representing manual labor) and overlapping with ILWU in organizing workers at industrial sites such as C&H Sugar (Local 6).
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU): One of the largest U.S. labor unions representing service workers including airport security-adjacent roles. Comparable as a major private-sector union with sophisticated organizing, political action, and member benefit programs.
- UNITE HERE: U.S. union representing hotel, gaming, food service, and airport workers. Directly comparable to ILWU Local 142's hospitality/hotel portfolio in Hawaii and to ILWU's airport security representation through Local 9 at SeaTac.
- AFL-CIO: U.S. national federation of labor unions coordinating policy and political action across affiliated unions including ILWU. Comparable as the umbrella institutional peer for collective political and organizing infrastructure.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW): Large U.S. union covering grocery, meatpacking, and food processing workers. Comparable as a private-sector union with member-benefit administration, collective bargaining focus, and overlapping industries (warehousing, food distribution).
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM): Major North American manufacturing, transportation, and aerospace union. Comparable as a multi-industry private-sector union with significant port-adjacent and logistics membership and a strong collective bargaining tradition.
Regional players
- Maritime Union of Australia (MUA): Australian maritime and dockworkers union with which ILWU has historic international solidarity ties (e.g., 1998 Patrick's dispute support). Operates a comparable dockworker/port worker mission in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ILWU social profiles
Digital presenceILWU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ILWU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
ILWU subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
ILWU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ILWU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ILWU
What does ILWU do?
ILWU is a labor union that represents approximately 42,000 workers across longshore, warehouse, maritime, hospitality, airport security, and supply chain logistics occupations on the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada. It provides collective bargaining under agreements such as the Pacific Coast Longshore and Clerks' Agreement, grievance and arbitration handling, hiring hall work distribution, pension and benefit administration, member education programs (LEAD Institute, GAP Workshops), and political action and advocacy, funded through member dues.
Is ILWU a public or private company?
ILWU is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ILWU founded?
ILWU was founded in 1937. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is ILWU based?
ILWU is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does ILWU make money?
One revenue line is on record: member Dues.
Who are ILWU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). Broad incumbents are International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), UNITE HERE, AFL-CIO, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) is listed as a regional player.
Does ILWU have an API?
No public API is recorded for ILWU.
What industry is ILWU in?
ILWU's product category is Labor Union Representation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAIAK, Pay Card Programs & Earned Wage Access (EWA) Administration. Its NAICS code is 561330 and its SIC code is 8600.