Longtime labor leader and Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Bobby Olvera, Jr. is the new international president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing thousands of longshore workers across 29 ports along the U.S. West Coast, the organization announced Nov. 8.
Olvera, Jr. and the new leadership team, which consists of Vice President Ryan Whitman, Vice President Brandon Wolff and returning Secretary-Treasurer Ed Ferris, were elected by ILWU members and sworn in Oct. 29 by outgoing International President Willie Adams at the organization’s International Executive Board meeting in San Francisco.
At the swearing-in ceremony, Olvera lauded Adams’ steady leadership, “steering the union through a difficult six years” and “clearing the deck” so the new team of leaders could have the chance “to grow and strengthen the union in the next three years,” according to the ILWU announcement.
The ILWU surprised Adams by naming the courtyard of the International Offices after him. Adams said he was touched by the gesture.
“I never would have thought I would receive an honor like this and it means a lot to me,” he said.
Olvera’s history with the ILWU spans more than three decades. After registering with the organization in 1989, Olvera was chosen by Local 13 members to serve on the executive board, political action committee and as a ILWU Longshore Caucus and Convention delegate, according to his port bio.
From 1991 to 1998, Olvera served in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2018, Olvera was elected as ILWU International Vice President and appointed to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners in 2020.
