The union boss leading the port strike on the East and Gulf Coasts is in the spotlight as he joins workers on the picket lines. As a former port worker himself and now president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), Harold Daggett has been a strong advocate for labor protections.
He has consistently called out shipping companies for raking in billions of dollars during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, without his workers getting a cut.
“When my men had to go to work on those peers, every single day when everybody stayed home and went to work, not my men,” Daggett said. “They died out there with the virus. We all got sick with the virus. We kept them going.”
Daggett joined union members on Tuesday, Oct.1, to kick off the union’s first strike since 1977, demanding higher wages and protection from automation.
Critics of Daggett have pointed out his extravagant lifestyle. According to a report by Politico, Daggett made more than $900,000 in 2023, with a combined salary from ILA and from a local union he was president of previously.
Elon Musk took notice of Daggett and said on X, “Dude has more yachts than me.”
In 2005, the Justice Department accused Daggett of being an “associate” of the Genovese crime family. He and a fellow ILA member were charged with extortion conspiracy, and mail and wire fraud conspiracy. Both were later acquitted.
Dagget’s possible connection to Donald Trump has also been scrutinized after an old photo of them made the rounds online.
Daggett has not spoken about his relationship with Trump, but did issue a statement of support on behalf of the ILA after the assassination attempt in July. During the 2020 presidential election, the ILA endorsed Joe Biden’s campaign.
Now, many are wondering how Daggett’s decisions during the port strike will impact the U.S. economy, with potentially billions on the line until a deal is reached. The strike will stop the flow of goods over the docks of almost all cargo ports from Maine to Texas.
It could also stop U.S. exports, which would hurt sales for many companies.
