NORTH BERGEN, NJ (January 8, 2025) – The leader of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has a message to incoming President Donald J. Trump: “You have proven yourself to be one of the best friends of working men and women in the United States.”
Harold J. Daggett, International President of the ILA, cites a face-to-face meeting he had with President-Elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on December 12, 2024, joined by his son and ILA Executive Vice President Dennis A. Daggett, as the chief reason the ILA was able to win protections against automation for his 85,000 members, and negotiate a tentative Master Contract Agreement.
“President Trump clearly demonstrated his unwavering support for our ILA union and longshore workers with his statement “heard round the world” backing our position to protect American longshore jobs against the ravages of automated terminals,” said ILA President Daggett. “President Trump’s bold stance helped prevent a second coast wide strike at ports from Maine to Texas that would have occurred on January 15, 2024, if a tentative agreement was not reached.”
At the mid-December meeting in Mar-A-Lago, the two ILA leaders met for two hours with President-Elect Trump and spelled out the cause for an impasse in negotiations with the ocean carriers represented by United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).
In the presence of ILA President Harold Daggett and Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett, President Trump spoke by telephone to USMX officials to express his support for the ILA. He then posted a powerful message on “Truth Social” announcing his support for the ILA.
“There has been a lot of discussion having to do with ‘automation on United States docks,” President Trump wrote. “I’ve studied automation and know just about everything there is to know about it. The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.”
The ILA Leader said his union now regards President Donald Trump as one of the greatest friends of Organized Labor and champion of the working men and women of this country.
“He’s a hero to our ILA union and members,” said the ILA leader. “President Trump gets full credit for our successful tentative Master Contract agreement,” said ILA President Daggett.
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