Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA), is leading a strike that has shut down 14 US shipping ports. The strike, which began on Tuesday, has left thousands of shipping containers on the docks and ships idling offshore. This has led to panic buying and is expected to affect prices on imports like fruit and alcohol.
Daggett, who has been in the industry for over 60 years, was first elected president of the ILA in 2011 and is currently serving his fourth four-year term. He has been a vocal critic of automation in the industry, arguing that it leads to job losses. The ILA is demanding a 77% wage hike over five years and a complete ban on the use of automated cranes, gates, and container-moving trucks in unloading or loading freight.
However, Daggett's lifestyle has come under scrutiny amidst the strike. According to the New York Post, Daggett owns an expansive mansion in Sparta, Sussex County, with a ten-acre property boasting a more than seven-thousand-square foot Tudor-style home with a six-car garage. Union filings from the Department of Labor indicate Daggett was paid a $728,000 salary by the ILA last year.
Despite the strike, Daggett remains defiant. In a statement posted on social media, he said, "We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve." as reported by Workboat.com.