The Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America (IUMSWA) was an American

labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

which existed between 1933 and 1988. The IUMSWA was first organised at the

New York Shipbuilding Corporation The New York Shipbuilding Corporation (or New York Ship for short) was an American shipbuilding company that operated from 1899 to 1968, ultimately completing more than 500 vessels for the U.S. Navy, the United States Merchant Marine, the United ...

shipyard in

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a City (New Jersey), city in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P''The Story of ...

after striking in 1934 and 1935. From here it slowly spread to a number of other private shipyards in the Northeast, gaining representation at the Staten Island shipyard in 1936, the Federal Shipyard in 1937, Brooklyn and Hoboken in 1939,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

and

Sparrows Point Sparrows Point is an industrial area in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, adjacent to Edgemere. Named after Thomas Sparrow, landowner, it was the site of a very large industrial complex owned by Bethlehem Steel, known ...

in 1941, as well as a range of other smaller ship repair yards in the New York area. The IUMSWA's industrial coverage of all production workers in the shipbuilding industry brought it into conflict with established

craft unions Craft unionism refers to a model of trade unionism in which workers are organised based on the particular craft or trade in which they work. It contrasts with industrial unionism, in which all workers in the same industry are organized into the sa ...

, such as the boilermakers, leading the IUMSWA to be refused an

AFL AFL may refer to: Education * Angel Foundation for Learning, a Canadian Roman Catholic charity * Ankara Science High School, a high school in Ankara, Turkey, natively referred to as ''Ankara Fen Liesi'' * Assessment for learning Military * ...

charter in 1933. The IUMSWA later joined the

Congress of Industrial Organizations The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was a federation of Labor unions in the United States, unions that organized workers in industrial unionism, industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. Originally created in ...

in 1936. In 1940, the membership was about 100,000. IUMSWA gained size and strength during the World War II

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

effort, and membership reached about 250,000. IUMSWA Local 15 signed a contract on May 15, 1941 covering workers at

Bethlehem Steel Corporation The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...

's shipyard in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

. This ended the company's policy of an open shop in shipbuilding, and was an important step towards the

Steel Workers Organizing Committee The Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) was one of two precursor labor organizations to the United Steelworkers. It was formed by the CIO ( Committee for Industrial Organization) on June 7, 1936. It disbanded in 1942 to become the United Ste ...

(SWOC-CIO)'s success in the organizing the workers in Bethlehem's steel manufacturing plants. The IUMSWA generally had a weak track record on the issues of racism and the rights of Black workers, often acquiescing to the racism of white workers, particularly in the South. Anti-racist initiatives within the IUMSWA came from local activists and not from national officers. The most successful example of anti-racist activism within the union was due to left-wing trade unionists organizing to integrate the

Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard in New Jersey active from 1917 to 1948. It was founded during World War I to build ships for the United States Shipping Board. Unlike many shipyards, it remained active duri ...

. Black and Jewish activists including Bob Monroe, Lou Kaplan and Al Elliott, as well as members of the Philadelphia Black community, were instrumental in the push to desegregate the shipyards at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Anti-racist efforts were much less successful in Mobile, Alabama. IUMSWA organizers at the

Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company The Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company (ADDSCO) located in Mobile, Alabama, was one of the largest marine production facilities in the United States during the 20th century. It began operation in 1917, and expanded dramatically during W ...

bowed to pressures from Southern segregationists in order to cater to white workers. Black workers and women workers were included at Bethlehem Steel's

Fore River Shipyard Fore River Shipyard was a shipyard owned by General Dynamics Corporation located on Weymouth Fore River in Braintree, Massachusetts, Braintree and Quincy, Massachusetts. It began operations in 1883 in Braintree, and moved to its final location on ...

and

locations, but they were generally consigned to auxiliary yards that only lasted for the duration of World War II. The membership of the union declined after the war ended. In the 1970s and 1980s, the union was known for its efforts in worker

health and safety Occupational safety and health (OSH) or occupational health and safety (OHS) is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work (i.e., while performing duties required by one's occupation). OSH is re ...

. IUMSWA was merged with the

International Association of Machinists The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing over 600,000 workers as of 2024 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Origi ...

in 1988.Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America (IUMSWA) archives, 1934-1970
188.75 linear feet. University of Maryland Libraries, State of Maryland and Historical Collections.

Presidents

:1934:

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author and YouTuber. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is one of the List of best-selling books#Bet ...

:1951: John J. Grogan :1968: Andrew Pettis :1973: Eugene L. McCabe :1975: Frank Derwin :1980s: Arthur Batson

References

External links

Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America (IUMSWA) archives, 1934-1970
188.75 linear feet. University of Maryland Libraries, Labor History Collections.
Andrew Pettis papers
1924-1972. 23.50 linear feet, University of Maryland Libraries, Labor History Collections. Former president of IUMSWA
A. G. Delman papers
Former director of publicity and research,

University of Maryland Libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library system in the Washington D.C.–Baltimore area. The system includes eight libraries: six are located on the University of Maryland, College Park, College Park campus, while ...

* Robert W. Pemberton papers, 1918-1999. 3.00 linear feet, University of Maryland Libraries, State of Maryland and Historical Collections. Working files of a National Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of IUMSWA, who was associated with the Sparrow Point and Key Highway shipyards in

. {{Authority control 1933 establishments in the United States 1988 disestablishments in the United States Defunct trade unions in the United States Industrial unions Shipbuilding trade unions International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers