AWU was formed in 1936 and originally registered in 1938 as the Amalgamated Building and Woodworkers Union following the historic Butler-led labour rebellions of that era.
It was a time before sewers when garbage was carried away by donkey carts out of the nation's sceptic tanks in the middle of the night by the bucket and barrel.
The members continue to be the vital Workers on the ground, the bedrock and lifeblood of our capital city and our nation: the sanitation support Workers of the Port of Spain Corporation; the Clerks and Cleaners in downtown malls of East Side Plaza and New City Mall; the factory Workers at the internationally recognized Bermudez Biscuit Company; the Funeral Attendants and Drivers at Belgroves Funeral Home; the Cooks and Counter-staff of local fast-food giant, Royal Castle Limited; and many others.
AWU has reformulated and expanded its Labour Relations Department to better serve all of its units as well as increasing numbers of unrepresented ("Off the Street") Workers as well as the launch of its first national weekly radio program, "Work N Progress".
Created through the vision of the Union's President General Michael Prentice, the show was produced by Workers for national progress.