Local 19

What Local 19 does

Local 19 (legally, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19) is a private labor union local chartered in 1937 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It represents registered and casual longshore workers performing cargo handling, stevedoring, and waterfront operations in the Seattle/Puget Sound region. The local is part of the broader ILWU International structure and the ILWU Coast Longshore Division, which negotiates a single coastwide collective bargaining agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association covering all Pacific Coast ports in California, Oregon, and Washington. Local 19's core services include operating union-controlled hiring halls that democratically dispatch work to members, administering grievance and workplace safety protections, and providing access to the ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans (joint union-management health, welfare, and pension trust funds). The local operates a democratic member-governance structure with elected dispatchers and delegates, and supports affiliated entities including the Seattle ILWU Pensioners Club and ILWU Auxiliary 3.

The union's primary revenue mechanics flow through two channels: (1) active member dues remitted through the ILWU International structure, and (2) the ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans, which are funded almost entirely by employer contributions and currently provide medical and pension benefits at an annual cost exceeding $200 million to over 8,000 retired longshore workers and surviving spouses. The Pension Plan holds approximately $2 billion in assets against approximately $1.8 billion in liabilities, making it fully funded. The only publicly disclosed direct Local 19 pricing is the Pensioner's Club annual membership at $30 in total yearly dues. Distribution of services occurs through hiring halls, benefit plan offices (e.g., the Mountlake Terrace, WA Welfare Director office), and an informational member portal at ilwu19.com that is explicitly described as unofficial and maintained by a retired ILWU member.

Technically, Local 19 is not a technology company. Its digital footprint is limited to the ilwu19.com website (online since 1998), which functions as a static content portal providing member resources, historical archives, the Rusty Hook newsletter, Final Dispatch memorial records, links to ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans administration, and educational content on unionism. There is no mobile app, no API, no SDK, no disclosed integrations, and no proprietary technology platform. The underlying technology is a basic informational website; the substantive operational systems (hiring hall dispatch, benefit plan administration) are managed by the ILWU International and the joint ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans office rather than by Local 19 itself.

Name

Local 19

Legal name

International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19

Website

https://ilwu19.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ILWU Local 19 is a Seattle-based labor union local representing Pacific Coast longshore workers through hiring hall dispatch, coastwide collective bargaining with the Pacific Maritime Association, and administration of the ILWU-PMA health, welfare, and pension benefit plans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADANAM

Labor, Social Protection & Occupational Safety Standards Cooperation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

SECONDARYFSAIAFAG

Taft-Hartley / Union Multiemployer Group Health Plans

Financial & Insurance/Insurance — Life & Health/Group Health Insurance (Employer-Sponsored)

Keywords

• Labor union services
• Longshore worker representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Hiring hall dispatch
• Union benefit plans

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ILWU Local 19 is a labor union local representing longshoremen in the Seattle/Puget Sound area, providing collective bargaining representation through the coastwide ILWU-PMA contract, union-controlled hiring hall job dispatch, health and welfare benefits administration (medical, dental, pension), workplace safety protections, grievance procedures, and member communications. The organization also supports a Pensioners Club for retired members and Auxiliary 3 for families.

Product overview

Local 19 is a labor union local (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) representing Seattle-area longshore workers. The organization operates primarily as a membership-based union rather than a technology product company. Its 'products' consist of union membership services, the ILWU/PMA Benefit Plans (joint health/welfare/pension trust), member communications including the Rusty Hook newsletter, historical archives, and educational resources about unionism and workers' rights. The website serves as an informational portal for these union services and member resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ILWU Local 19 Membership & Hiring Hall Dispatch

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual cost of medical and pension benefits exceeds $200 million, funded almost entirely by employers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Inlandboatmen's Union (IBU): ILWU-affiliated union representing inland marine workers, tugboat and barge operators on the Pacific Coast. Closely linked to Local 19 through shared maritime labor ecosystem and ILWU International affiliation.
• ILWU Local 8: Portland, Oregon ILWU local covering Port of Portland and Columbia River ports. Operates under the same coastwise bargaining structure with identical benefit plans and hiring hall system.
• ILWU Local 13: Sister ILWU local representing longshore workers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest container port complex in the US. Operates under the same coastwide ILWU-PMA collective bargaining agreement with identical structure, hiring hall, and benefit plans.
• ILWU Local 10: San Francisco Bay Area ILWU local covering Port of Oakland and other Bay Area waterfront facilities. Part of the same coastwide ILWU Coast Longshore Division and ILWU-PMA contract framework as Local 19.

Broad incumbents

• International Brotherhood of Teamsters: Large US labor union with overlapping waterfront, warehouse, and freight transportation representation. Competes with and complements ILWU in logistics and freight handling occupations, particularly at port-adjacent facilities.
• International Longshoremen's Association (ILA): The larger Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast longshore union, historically the predecessor to the ILWU on the Pacific Coast (Local 19 was ILA Local 38-12 before 1937). Represents longshore workers on the East Coast and Gulf under separate USMX collective bargaining agreement.

Others

• International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU): Parent international union organization to which Local 19 belongs. Coordinates coastwide bargaining, benefit plan governance, and provides the broader institutional framework within which Local 19 operates.
• ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans: Joint union-management trust fund administering health, welfare, pension, and related benefits for ILWU longshore members and retirees. Funded by employer contributions and operated under Taft-Hartley multiemployer plan structure that serves Local 19 members.
• Pacific Maritime Association (PMA): Employer-side bargaining association representing terminal operators and stevedoring companies on the Pacific Coast. The direct counterparty to ILWU Local 19 in coastwise collective bargaining, and co-administrator of the ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans.

Regional players

• Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association (MEBA): Union representing licensed maritime engineers and ship officers in the US maritime industry. Operates in adjacent maritime labor space and historically coordinates with ILWU on West Coast waterfront labor matters.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-19

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local 19