ILWU Local 13 represents Los Angeles dock workers and is one of the locals chartered by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which has supported longshore and warehouse workers on the West Coast since 1937.

A local that size handles steady inbound volume on dues, training status, work availability, and contract questions. When the underlying union member database cannot keep up, the load lands on staff phones and inboxes, and members feel the lag. Local 13 needed software that could carry the operation and put real self-service in the hands of members.

To get there, Local 13 turned to eMembership for a modern union member database that integrates with a real-time member portal and mobile app, automates remittance file uploads, and gives every member their own self-service hub.

A legacy database, spreadsheets, and a portal that did not sync

Before adopting eMembership, Local 13 struggled with a union member database that was more than a decade old and could not keep up with the operation. More work moved into offline spreadsheets, member outreach grew harder, and the member portal added a new problem rather than solving one.

• Data scattered across systems. The aging database could not absorb new workflows, so more operations migrated to spreadsheets and manual processes.
• No single system of record. Answering routine member questions meant checking several places, with no certainty which copy was current.
• Portal disconnected from the database. Members would update their address online, only to find the change had not made it into the main system.
• Manual remittance entry. Thousands of payroll and remittance records were typed in by hand every month, which required temporary staff and created data-quality risk.

Local 13 needed a single, modern union member database that backed the member portal in real time, automated remittance imports, and removed the dependency on spreadsheets for routine work.

One database, one source of truth, one experience for members

eMembership replaced the legacy database, the disconnected portal, and the spreadsheet workarounds with one integrated platform. Implementation took four months and started with a Discovery Project that locked the scope, schedule, and cost before any data moved.

A modern union member database, configured to Local 13

Legacy member, dues, and training data was migrated into eMembership during implementation. The platform was configured (and customized where necessary) to match Local 13's specific business rules, including a shift to cash-basis accounting that the prior system could not support.

Automated onboarding and remittance

Onboarding new members used to involve data entry across multiple screens. It is now driven by spreadsheet import, with new members automatically enrolled in required training classes. Payroll and remittance files that used to be keyed in by hand are now uploaded directly into eMembership, removing both the labor and the typing-error risk.

Member portal and mobile app on the same database

The legacy portal was replaced with eMembership's union member portal, which runs on the same database as the office staff use in real time. There is no synchronization step: staff changes are visible to members immediately, and member changes flow directly into the system of record. Members can pay dues online, check union standing, manage training status, and enroll in training classes. The labor union app extends the same functions to phones.

QR-coded membership cards

Membership cards printed from eMembership carry QR codes that employers can scan to verify union standing and training status in real time. This replaced the periodic reprinting of cards and training documents on demand.

A platform that supports the whole local

Beyond unifying the member database, Local 13 uses a range of integrated tools within eMembership:

• Custom union administration reports built by staff, plus customizable dashboards for at-a-glance views
• Union meetings and event management with attendance tracking
• Bulk email and SMS union communications for targeted member outreach
• Union electronic signatures for membership applications and authorizations
• Union surveys for gathering timely member feedback
• A staff to-do list on the eMembership homepage that surfaces priority actions

Time saved, calls dropped, data in one place

With eMembership, Local 13 is operating from a single union member database, with self-service that members actually use and an inbound call volume that has fallen sharply.

• 40% drop in inbound member calls. Within twelve months of launching the new portal and mobile app, member call volume into the office fell by 40%.
• Spreadsheets retired. All data lives in one system as a single source of truth, with no more manual consolidation across sources.
• No more typing in remittances. Payroll and remittance files upload directly, eliminating the monthly temporary-staff cost and the typing-error risk.
• QR codes for employer verification. Employers scan member cards to verify union standing and training status in real time, without calling the office for reprints.
• Custom reports on demand. Staff build their own reports and dashboards from the same data, without IT requests.