If you want more information about your union or union contract; if you have a problem on the job; if you want to become more involved with your union, the first person you should talk with is your union steward or unit officer.

Unit officers and stewards are elected by the members of your unit to help their fellow union members on the job.

They serve as volunteers and receive no extra pay or special privileges. Their names should be posted on the union bulletin board.

If they can’t help you, they will put you in touch with the ILWU business agent assigned to service your unit.

About your business agent 
Business agents are elected every three years by the ILWU members on your island (or county for Maui Division, or industry for the Hawaii Longshore Division) to work full-time for the union.

Each business agent is assigned to work with specific units and should visit your workplace every week or as needed. Business agents assist unit officers and stewards, negotiate contracts, and work directly with members on their problems.

If you don’t know your business agent’s name, call the ILWU division office on your island. Regular office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office may be closed on some holidays.

If your business agent is not in the office, you should leave a message with a phone number and a good time when you can be reached. Division phone numbers are listed below.

The ILWU Unit
 “Units” are what we call the ILWU organization at your workplace. This means that some time in the past, the workers at your company organized and a majority voted to unionize with the ILWU. The workers then negotiated a collective bargaining agreement (also called union contract) with your employer which puts in writing your wages, benefits, working conditions, and rights on the job.

The contract defines which workers are covered by the union. Some categories of workers—such as management, confidential employees, or security guards—are excluded by law.

Units are democratic. Every worker covered by the union contract is a member of the unit and the ILWU. Unit members elect their own officers and union stewards to help members on the job. Unit members also elect their negotiating committee to negotiate the union contract.

Units should hold regular membership meetings where members may discuss what is happening in the workplace and propose policies for the unit and the ILWU.

Unit members elect delegates to the ILWU Local 142 Convention, which is held every three years (the next one is scheduled for September 2015).

The ILWU Convention gives ILWU members the power to set union policy, to vote on the union’s finances and budget, to hear reports on the work of the union, and to approve future union programs.

In November 2015, after the Local 142 Convention, all ILWU members will have the opportunity to vote for the union’s statewide officers. ILWU members of each division (Hawaii Island, Maui County, Kauai, Oahu, and Longshore statewide) will also vote to elect their division officers such as business agents, division directors, and local executive board members.