History

--Roots of 
the ILA

--The Dawn 
of Unionism

--First 
Longshoremen's
Union

--ILA
Beginnings

--Early Threats
To Unionism

--Realism 
and Caution

--The Haymarket
Riot

--Creation of
the ILA

--Affiliation with
AFL-CIO

--Fighting
Communism
and racism

--ILA arrives in
New York

--ILA absorbs
LUPA

--Gangland
Myths

--Wagner Act

--Pacific Coast
Split

--ILA Accused
of Gangsterism

--Teddy Gleason
Fights to Save
the ILA

Teddy Gleason

--Elected President
of the ILA

--ILA in the
Present

Overview of ILA History

When Port of Baltimore native and International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) leader Jeff Davis coined the phrase "ILA: means 'I Love America'" during World War I, he explicitly connected the ILA with a deep and passionate patriotism, which has been a defining characteristic of the Union since its infancy in America's heartland straight through to today's era of advanced internationalism. ILA patriotism runs deeper than the personal convictions of the Union's dynamic leaders - it is an expression of the central role longshoring has played in this nation's history.