A MESSAGE FROM ILA INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT DENNIS A. DAGGETT

To All ILA Members Under the Master Contract,

In the next few months, you will be hearing a lot about the implementation of the new Master Contract. One of the main areas of focus will be absenteeism and productivity.

We’ve already started to hear the noise from critics outside our industry—claiming the ILA negotiated this very lucrative contract and is now planning to push members to work faster.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Let’s take a look at the collective success we achieved as a Union.

The ILA—led by our International President, Harold J. Daggett—was able to convince ocean carriers and marine terminal operators to invest more in you than in robotics, which would either eliminate our job functions or, even worse, eliminate our jobs entirely.

How did we do it?

We showed the employers real data—studies that we’ve been a part of, including ones we commissioned—proving that a human being, when equipped with the right tools, is more productive than any type of robotics.

We also shared studies that clearly outline the major differences between transshipment ports and ports like ours, which are loading and discharge ports. These terminals are tasked with moving cargo out through gates and rails while dealing with infrastructure complexities surrounding our ports. Comparing those environments is not an apples-to-apples situation.

We further explained the various logistical challenges faced at each port and terminal across the East and Gulf Coasts. Production metrics are far more than just what one ship-to-shore crane operator’s moves are. It’s more complex than that.

All ILA workers from the three crafts contribute to the total productivity of a marine terminal.

For example:

Our mechanics and technicians have to meet the high demand of keeping a large percentage of the container-handling equipment in service to support operations and keep terminals running efficiently.
Our yard and vessel clerks ensure containers are in the right place at the right time—ready to be delivered through the gate or loaded onto a vessel.
Our checkers, hatch checkers, TIR inspectors, and planners all play critical roles to make sure the flow of cargo is smooth and safe.
Our Longshore craft, who operate the equipment, must do so safely and efficiently to keep cargo moving and ships serviced on schedule.

And let’s not forget: management has a responsibility as well—to properly plan and execute operations. Talking about being productive is one thing—doing it effectively requires everyone moving in sync and having the right tools and equipment available.

We’re not just fighting for better wages, benefits, and jurisdiction—we’re fighting for our survival and proving our worth.

Our real competition is automation. Robotics. Artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

That’s why we need regular pier-level productivity meetings—with all crafts and terminal management in the room. We need to work together. Pier-level management should be just as motivated as we are—because technology is coming for them, too. The ILA now has protections in this contract against artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Management doesn’t have those protections—and that should be their motivation to work with us to maximize productivity and address the operational factors that limit our collective ability to succeed in terminal operations.

This is about us working together in unison and protecting every single job and ensuring the safe, productive, and efficient movement of commerce.

We can do this. The world is watching—and we will not fail.

We must also set up oversight productivity committees in each port to evaluate metrics, logistics, and terminal planning. If we succeed in this effort, we strip away any argument employers may have for why they “need” automation.

We must protect our jobs and preserve them for the next generation of Longshore Workers.

We must always cover the job. That was the motto when I entered this industry, and it must remain our standard today. Cover the job first—grieve later if there’s a dispute.

We must also hold ourselves accountable.

We all know many of our ports still operate as shape jobs, and we respect that. But if you accept an order, you must fulfill it. For those fortunate enough to have regular jobs, you must be committed to showing up and not habitually missing work.

When you don’t show up, you’re not just hurting yourself—you’re hurting the very funds that support all of us—and you’re hurting your Union Sisters and Brothers.

Every hour you work contributes to the health and strength of those funds. More man hours = healthier benefits.

This fight was honorable—and we were victorious—but it’s far from over.

Now is the time for all of us to step up and do our part.

Accountability isn’t just something we talk about on the job—it’s something we should live by in every aspect of our lives. Let’s be accountable to one another, and let’s keep building on what we’ve won so that future generations of ILA members can enjoy the same strength, protection, and pride in this Union that we do today.

In solidarity,

Dennis A. Daggett

Executive Vice President

International Longshoremen’s Association