It was founded in 1946 taking over from the Bermuda Workers' Association which continued as the BIU political arm.
The Bermuda Industrial Union was founded by Edgar Fitzgerald Gordon to facilitate collective bargaining of working class Bermudians[1] at a time when the work force was predominantly composed of black Bermudians who were disenfranchised because of property requirements that controlled the right to vote.
[2][3] Gordon served as its president until his 1955 death,[4] and one of BIU's most influential leaders was Dr. Barbara Ball,[3] who became the General Secretary of the organization in 1962.
[3][5] BIU became the largest and most influential trade union in the country, by centralizing its organization and branching to address the needs of various industry segments, like electricians, hospital staff, hotel workers, and street maintenance personnel.
[4] Until the 1981 general strike the labor negotiations of the BIU were able to maintain a calm during collective bargaining processes.