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International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, Local 9 records, 1935-1995

Overview of the Collection

Creator
International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union. Local 9
Title
International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, Local 9 records
Dates
1935-1995 (inclusive)
Quantity
11.02 cubic feet, (13 boxes, 1 artifact)
Collection Number
5809
Summary
Records relating to the ILWU-Local 9
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Access to portions of the collection is restricted. Contact University of Washington Libraries Special Collections for details.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Historical Note

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 9 is a labor union representing port workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. One of the original locals established during the 1937 split from the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), Local 9 helped form the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU) under the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). Historically, the local union also represented workers in Port of Seattle waterfront warehouses, though these contracts were no longer in effect by the late 2000s.

ILWU Local 9 traces its origins to a Seattle warehouse local that played a pivotal role in the 1935 strike against Fisher Flouring Mills—a landmark labor action in the Pacific Northwest. The AFL-affiliated Cereal and Flour Workers Union, representing production workers at the Fisher mill joined with the Weighers, Warehousemen and Cereal Workers Unions, International Longshoremen's Association Local 38-117 to challenge a company union favored by Fisher. The strike began in October 1935 as a protest over wages and working conditions but quickly escalated into a regional and even international labor solidarity campaign.

The Seattle Chamber of Commerce intervened on behalf of the company, financing strikebreakers to reopen the mill. In response, the newly formed union mobilized broad support from the labor movement, including bakery workers, loggers, longshoremen, and maritime crews. The four-month strike and boycott of Fisher products became one of the most effective in labor history, with actions extending as far as Richmond, Virginia, Gulf Coast logging camps, and ports worldwide, where workers refused to handle Fisher flour.

The strike's success in 1936 not only secured improved conditions for Local 9 members but also demonstrated the power of cross-union solidarity. This victory helped galvanize the local's identity and laid the groundwork for its formal affiliation with the newly formed ILWU in 1937.

Sources: https://www.ilwu.org/history/the-ilwu-story/

http://ilwu9.org/

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Content Description

This collection documents the activities, administration, and labor relations of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 9, primarily covering the mid-20th century. Materials include minutes, correspondence, subject files, financial records, election materials (including a voting box and picket signs), contracts, newsletters, and photographs. The records reflect the local's governance, interactions with employers (notably Fisher Flouring Mills and the Port of Seattle), and engagement with labor and political organizations.

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Other Descriptive Information

Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged in 4 Series:

  • Series 1, Organizational Records
    • Subseries 1. Constitution and Bylaws
    • Subseries 2. Meeting Minutes
    • Subseries 3. Correspondence
    • Subseries 4. Membership Records
    • Subseries 5. Financial Records
    • Subseries 6. Subject Files
  • Series 2, Collective Bargaining Records
  • Series 3, Photographs
  • Series 4, Ephemera and Artifacts

Preservation Note

The collection is stored offsite. Advance notice is required for use.

Related Materials

The ILWU Local 9 website has been regularly captured by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine since 2015. The snapshots can be viewed here: https://wayback.archive-it.org/3988/*/http://ilwu9.org/

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union website has been regularly captured by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine since 2013. The snapshots can be viewed here: https://wayback.archive-it.org/3988/*/http://www.ilwu.org/

Acquisition Information

Mike Pavelic, Secretary Treasurer of International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 9

Processing Note

Processed by Shaun Cuffin and Michael Leone; processing completed July, 2014. Final arrangement: Ernie Dornfeld, June 2025.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Nan Cohen
2015

CC0

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