Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers

Dark blue outer rim with white text; a mercury dime is sandwiched between the front and back of the button and fills the center

The Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America (IUMSWA) was a labor union active between 1933 and 1988. It began in New Jersey, growing to protect many private shipyards on the East and Gulf coasts. The IUMSWA coverage of all production workers in the shipbuilding industry led to disputes with other craft unions, contributing to the American Federation of Labor (AFL) not recognizing the union. IUMSWA was independent until the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) allowed them to join in 1936. It slowly dissipated after the war, with the added issues of internal conflicts, mergers, and other union competition. IUMSWA’s early goals were improving wages, paid time off, and pensions for workers in private shipyards. They soon expanded to public government-owned yards.