Booklet: Inspiring the Workforce of Tomorrow

Sending Strain and Triumph Through History. Scraps of the union were handed down not only in contracts and policy change — but also in family narratives. The children and grandchildren of dockworkers grew up listening to stories about the strikes, the marches, days off without pay and nights filled with meetings in dimly lighted halls. […]

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A Heritage that Made Generations

The Fruits of Early Sacrifice. But by the middle of the 20 th century, the American Longshoremen and Harbor Workers Union was an institution that stood as a symbol of power, solidarity and oneness. The gains that dockworkers had made during this period in no way constituted a miracle, but were the result of decades […]

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The Persistence Chastens Success

But the battle raged on, and they finally began to make headway. The union gradually won new concessions that transformed the nature of dock labor. One of the first victories was a cost-of-living increase in wages which provided workers the ability to better support their families and took some of the burden off a job […]

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The Idea of Formation in the Authority

The act of forming the union was itself not only a bureaucratic achievement but an announcement that dockworkers refused to continue simply deposit themselves in the process of their own exploitation. For decades longshoremen were treated as workers who could be thrown away and be easily replaced, and not to be respected. This narrative was […]

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The Movement of National Labor

The longshoremen and harbor workers were heavily influenced by the tide of organized labor sweeping across the country in the late 19 th and early 20 th century. They saw miners, railroad men and factory hands join unions and win concessions; they felt energized, with good examples under their noses. And the broader labor movement […]

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Unsafe Work Environment and Risk

And the work at the docks itself—dock breaking—was not only exhausting and precarious; it was hazardous. Heavy crates, barrels and machinery were lugged by hand or primitive machines and often in the mud on slick surfaces. Safety regulations were virtually non existent and protective equipments were rarely provided. The fatalities were falls, crush injuries and […]

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The American Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Union: Strength on the Waterfront

History of the Union The maritime sector of the United States is important in the activity of the American Longshoremen and the Harbor Workers Union. On behalf of dockworkers, longshoremen, and harbor laborers, the union provides equitable wages, secure working hours, and effective labor rights. This is an organization that has been the pillar of […]

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Strategizing and making the Next Step

When considering the future, it is only natural that the ALHWU devotes a lot of resource to the strategies that would secure its members and allow them to remain relevant in the maritime world. It is engaged in long drawn negotiations with the authorities in ports, shipping firms and government representatives. The negotiations concentrate on […]

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