Go to the source: union documents

Want to know more about our rights on the job or in the union?

Pay scales, seniority, hiring, benefits, discipline, health and safety rules, and more are found in the contracts and side agreements.

Rules governing local and International union elections, officers' responsibilities and powers, ILA conventions, local union meetings, and more are found in the Constitution and Bylaws.

NOTE: many of these documents are in PDF format; some documents are available online only for ILA 1588 Members.


Contracts and side agreements

Click on a link below to find the document.

The following documents are accessible only to Local 1588 members who establish an account on the site.

* BMW Contract (PDF)
* BMW Pension Plan and 401(K) Savings Plan Summaries
* Ceres Job Assignment Agreement
* D&L Contract
* Global Seniority Agreement
* NEAT Contract


USMX-ILA Master Contract

Follow this link to the pdf file of the Master Agreement between the ILA and the United Maritime Alliance (USMX).


NYSA-ILA Portwide Agreement for the Port of New York and New Jersey

The Portwide Agreement(pdf) between the New York Shipping Association and the ILA addresses many issues and working conditions not covered in the ILA-USMX Master Contract (pdf)

Included in the Portwide Agreement (pdf) are several appendices and other documents like NYSA-ILA Joint Maritime Safety Code (pdf) that affect the working conditions of Longshoremen in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

New: Portwide Agreement available as a booklet from the Local

These include (all in pdf format):


NYSA-ILA Joint Maritime Safety Code

In 1970 NYSA and the ILA adopted a Joint Maritime Safety Code (pdf) that has been incorporated into the Portwide General Cargo Agreement (pdf) since at least 1986. Subsequent agreements have called for a joint NYSA-ILA committee to update the Code but this has yet to be done.

The Code contains specific safety information on most aspects of the longshore operation and equipment including: proper illumination, yard surface, safety equipment, traffic, etc.

As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Code is enforceable through the grievance procedure.

Click here for the
NYSA-ILA Joint Maritime Safety Code (pdf).


VACIS Safety Letter

See the VACIS Safety Letter (PDF format) from ILA International President John Bowers.


Waterfront Commission ruling on petition for 300 new Longshoremen

See the Waterfront Commission ruling here (PDF format).


Union constitution and bylaws

Click on the links below to read the documents.


Local 1588 Constitution and Bylaws

See the ILA Local 1588 Constitution and Bylaws here (PDF format).


ILA International Constitution

See the Constitution of the International Longshoremen's Association (PDF format)


Court Documents Relating to the Monitorship of ILA Local 1588

Since January, 2003, Local 1588 has been under a monitorship ordered by a federal court for violating the the terms of a 1992 agreement with the Department of Justice. Below are copies of the original consent decree from 1992, the 2003 court-order, and US Court of Appeals decision upholding the monitorship, the decision and order expelling John J. Angelone from the Local, the settlement agreement with John Timpanaro, charges against Timpanaro for violating the settlement, the Administrator's ruling suspending Timpanaro for an additional year, and a Motion by the U.S. DOJ for an Election to be held in 2007 based on a Declaration of the Local 1588 Administrator.