Incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1946, the Association, commonly known as "BSA" was founded to administer the newly-created fringe benefits coming into Union contracts for the first time.   

With a diverse membership of firms comprising those steamship owners, agents, stevedores, terminal operators, and service organizations who employ waterfront labor, years of trial and progress led to the first modern longshore contracts in 1968 which established grievance procedures with fixed arbitration provisions, a successful Union-run Hiring Hall, and confirmed the joint labor/management handling of pension, health and welfare funds.