ILA praises Trump role in averting Maine-to-Texas U.S. port strike

Dennis A. Daggett (L) and Harold J. Daggett (R) met with President-elect Trump in Mar-a-Lago on December 12, 2024.. [Photo: ILA]

Fears that January 15 could bring a port strike that would have shut U.S. ports from Maine to Texas have been averted. The parties to the dispute, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) say that they thave reached a tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year Master Contract. The two sides agreed to continue to operate under the current contract until the union can meet with its full Wage Scale Committee and schedule a ratification vote, and USMX members can ratify the terms of the final contract.

At the center of the dispute has been what USMX terms technology and what the ILA terms automation.

ILA union international president Harold J. Daggett cites a face-to-face meeting he had with President-elect 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 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,” says a post on the ILA website.

A joint statement released by the ILA and USMX was more bland.

“We are pleased to announce that ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to ratification, thus averting any work stoppage on January 15, 2025,” the a joint statement said. “This agreement protects current ILA jobs and establishes a framework for implementing technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing East and Gulf coast ports – making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.”

“This is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and businesses, and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global marketplace.”