Harold Daggett
Harold J. Daggett | |
|---|---|
| President of the International Longshoremen's Association | |
| Assumed office 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Hughes |
Harold Daggett is an American labor union leader and current president of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), serving since 2011.[1][2][3][4] Raised in Queens, Daggett previously served in the US Navy in Vietnam before becoming a dock worker in 1967.[4] In 1988, he become president of Port Newark mechanics local.[4]
International Longshoremen's Association
[edit]Daggett was elected president of the International Longshoremen's Association in 2011, and subsequently re-elected twice.[5]
In 2023, Daggett earned $901,000 from the ILA, including $728,000 in base salary and $173,000 as president emeritus of ILA Local 1804–1.[6]
Daggett's son Dennis A. Daggett currently serves as executive vice president of ILA.[7]
2024 United States port strike
[edit]Daggett is critic of the Joe Biden administration, and has threatened to "cripple" the American economy before the 2024 election via the 2024 United States port strike.[6][8] Daggett is a lead figure in the strike, which has demanded a pay raise and a freeze to automation at US ports. Longshoremen earn up to $39 per hour (average American hourly wage is $28.34) and under Daggett's proposed contract, that cap would be moved to $69 per hour with a roughly 60% increase in pay over 6 years. Dagget faced criticism from Elon Musk for his wealth with Elon saying on X (formerly Twitter) "Dude had more yachts than me!" referring to Daggett's prior ownership of the 76-foot motor yacht, Obsession. In 2021, the yacht was sold with an asking price of $3,795,000.[9][10][11]
In a house-produced video posted to the ILA's YouTube channel, Daggett said “I will cripple you America, and you have no idea what that means. Nobody does,” he explained. “When my men hit the streets from Maine to Texas, every single port locked down. You know what’s going to happen? I’ll tell you. First week, I will be all over the news every night, boom, boom, second week. Guys who sell cars can’t sell cars, because the cars ain’t coming in off the ships. They get laid off. Third week, malls are closing down. They can’t get the goods from China. They can’t sell clothes. They can’t do this. I deserve more money. Everything in the United States comes on a ship, they go out of business. Construction workers get laid off because the materials aren’t coming in. The steel’s not coming in. The lumber’s not coming in. They lose their job. Everybody’s hating my guys now because now they realize how important our jobs are.”[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Henderson, Cameron (2024-10-01). "Harold Daggett: How union leader who fought mob tie allegations is holding the US economy to ransom". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Union boss on US ports strike: 'I'm not playing games'". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dockworker Chief Aims to Make History With Election Day Looming". Bloomberg.com. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b c Berger, Paul (October 2, 2024). "The Profane 78-Year-Old Leading the Dockworkers Strike". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Morley, Hugh R. (July 25, 2019). "Daggett re-elected to third term as head of ILA | Journal of Commerce". joc.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b Reporter, Aliss Higham US News (2024-10-02). "Who is Harold Daggett? Union boss behind port strike". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Rivard, Ry (September 25, 2024). "A looming strike could disrupt the economy just before the election. It's mostly up to 1 fiery union leader". Politico.
- ^ "'I will cripple you,' dockworkers union chief said of economy before massive port strike". Quartz. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Hatteras motor yacht Obsession sold". www.boatinternational.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "How much do dockworkers make? Here are the striking workers' salaries. - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2024-10-02. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Eavis, Peter (September 30, 2024). "Counteroffers Exchanged in Effort to Avert U.S. Dock Strike". The New York Times.
- ^ "A Candid Conversation With ILA President Harold J. Daggett On Wide Range of Important Topics" (video). youtube.com. International Longshoremen's Association. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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