Your wages, benefits, and working conditions are not at the will of the employer. As an ILWU member, you and your fellow co-workers have a seat at the table with the employer in determining what’s fair. 

These things are negotiated every few years and voted on by the full union membership of your workplace. Everything related to wages, benefits, and working conditions are locked into your Collective Bargaining Agreement, commonly referred to as your “contract.”

Your Unit Officers and Unit Union Stewards have copies of your contract. If you have questions or concerns related to any issues at the workplace, speak to a Unit Officer or Steward.

Have a problem at work? Something doesn’t seem right? Called into a meeting with management? You have union representation at your job site. They’re called Union Stewards and each job site of the ILWU has trained union stewards. Stewards can answer questions, or find answers to your questions. They can help you advocate for yourself on the job. And most-importantly, they can go with you to represent you at meetings with management that could lead to discipline of you or a co-worker.

You also have Unit Officers you can turn to. Unit Officers are co-workers who are elected to keep the union strong at the job. Your Business Agent, an island-wide elected full-time union officer is also a resource for you. If you are having a hard time getting in touch with your Steward or Unit officers, click here and reach out to your Division Office.

The ILWU operates through democratic unionism. That means YOU elect officers, attend meetings where union business is discussed, and participate in union governance at the highest levels. 

At the Unit level (worksite), members elect fellow members to serve on the Negotiating Committee, and to serve as Unit officers. Members being involved and staying informed is what ensures that the ILWU is run by and for its members. Check out the schedule for union meetings here.

As an ILWU member, you have access to tools you can use outside of the workplace to improve and secure well-being for you and your family. Here is a list of businesses and services that are waiting for ILWU members to tap in.

As members of the largest private union in Hawaiʻi, you receive the union’s bi-monthly newspaper, The Voice of the ILWU, in the mail to stay connected to your fellow members, read reports on union activity, and news about issues that impact working class people in Hawai’i like yourself. If you haven’t received an issue of The Voice, contact your Division Office. You should also stay plugged in by following your union’s social media account: @ilwu142hi. 

The ILWU also provides numerous opportunities for in-person education for members such as Steward trainings, workshops on retirement, workers comp, and health care plans at monthly Division meetings, and trainings that help members strategize to win strong contracts during negotiations. If you are interested in these educational opportunities, contact your Business Agent.