International Longshoremen's Association (West Coast)

International Longshoremen's Association (West Coast)
Name	International Longshoremen's Association (West Coast)
Abbreviation	ILA (West Coast)
Founded	1937
Location country	United States
Key people	Harry Bridges; Mike Casey; Jack Hall
Members	est. 20,000–40,000 (historical)
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Affiliation	Congress of Industrial Organizations; Pacific Maritime Association (employer counterpart)

International Longshoremen's Association (West Coast) is a regional dockworkers' labor organization that emerged in the late 1930s on the Pacific Coast of the United States, distinct from East Coast counterparts and involved in major maritime labor disputes, waterfront reform campaigns, and political coalitions. It played a central role in port labor relations in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington, and intersected with national labor movements, employer associations, and federal agencies.

History

The union's origins trace to waterfront struggles in San Francisco Bay Area and organizing drives influenced by figures like Harry Bridges and events such as the 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike and entities like the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the Industrial Workers of the World. Early confrontations involved authorities including the National Labor Relations Board and municipal governments in Oakland, California and Long Beach, California, as the union contested hiring practices tied to the Pacific Maritime Association and waterfront hiring systems in ports like San Pedro and Embarcadero. During World War II the union negotiated with War Shipping Administration and saw interactions with wartime bodies such as the Office of Price Administration, while postwar years brought disputes involving the Taft–Hartley Act era labor politics and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Cold War tensions affected internal politics, including purges and rivalries connected to groups like the Communist Party USA and leaders who faced scrutiny from figures associated with J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Later decades included mechanization debates alongside organizations such as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and legal contests before the United States Supreme Court and federal labor tribunals.

Organization and Membership

The union's structure combined longshore locals based in ports like San Diego, Salinas, Eureka, California, and Bellingham, Washington with regional councils reminiscent of other craft unions like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and federations such as the AFL–CIO. Membership rolls historically included registered longshoremen, clerks, and foremen who worked for shipping lines including Matson, Inc., American President Lines, and Grace Line; wage negotiations often referenced agreements with stevedoring firms linked to the Pacific Maritime Association and shipping companies participating in the United States Maritime Commission system. Internal governance featured elected shop stewards, local presidents, and an executive council that coordinated with national offices modeled after practices in unions such as the International Longshoremen's Association on the East Coast and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in West Coast rivalry. Training and apprenticeship programs connected with maritime academies such as the California Maritime Academy and job referral systems sometimes intersected with municipal hiring halls overseen by port authorities like the Port of Seattle and the Port of Los Angeles.

Jurisdiction and Ports

Jurisdictional claims covered major Pacific ports including San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles Harbor, Long Beach Harbor, Port of Oakland, Port of Tacoma, Port of Portland (Oregon), and Seattle Harbor, as well as smaller terminals in Astoria, Oregon and Moss Landing, California. These claims were contested in disputes before bodies like the National Mediation Board and within multi-union frameworks involving the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association. The union's control over hiring halls and cargo handling at container terminals placed it at odds with shipping innovations linked to firms such as Sea-Land Service and international entities like the International Chamber of Shipping and Panama Canal Commission interests impacting trade routes to East Asia and Latin America.

Labor Actions and Strikes

The organization was central to major actions including strikes and slowdowns that affected transpacific commerce and containerization debates, echoing earlier events like the 1934 strike and later walkouts that drew federal attention from administrations including those of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Disputes produced high-profile negotiations with employer coalitions such as the Pacific Maritime Association and sometimes required intervention by agencies like the United States Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. Work stoppages impacted supply chains involving carriers like United States Lines and freight affected by tariff and trade policy adjudicated by entities including the United States International Trade Commission.

Relations with Other Unions and Employers

Relations with unions including the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Seafarers International Union, and the Sailors' Union of the Pacific ranged from cooperation to jurisdictional conflict, particularly over demarcation of cargo-handling tasks and jurisdictional strikes. Employer interactions involved recurring collective bargaining with the Pacific Maritime Association, maritime carriers such as Matson, Inc., terminal operators with links to Oregon International Port of Coos Bay interests, and international shipping lines that negotiated through chambers such as the World Shipping Council. Legal contests sometimes reached courts overseen by judges appointed by presidents such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and involved law firms with maritime practice tied to ordinances enacted by city councils in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Political Activities and Legislation

Political engagement included lobbying on legislation affecting ports and maritime labor before the United States Congress, interactions with presidential administrations from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama, and participation in coalitions with civic groups and parties including the Democratic Party and various labor councils within the AFL–CIO. The union engaged in debates over statutes such as the Taft–Hartley Act and regulatory matters heard by the Federal Maritime Commission and was involved in municipal ballot measures in port cities like Oakland and San Francisco regarding port governance and labor standards. Campaign endorsements and get-out-the-vote efforts linked the union with candidates at state levels in California and Washington (state), and advocacy touched on immigration policy affecting dockworker labor pools and customs enforcement policies administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Category:Trade unions in the United States