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

Rebuilding the ILA

Teddy Gleason elected president
Longest lasting ILA contract
Guaranteed Annual Income
Job Security Program
Rules on Containers

Teddy Gleason was unanimously elected president at the ILA International Convention in 1963.  He had always been respected, and the value of his efforts as General Organizer during the troubles of the 1950s was well known.  His utter devotion to the union was clear to even the most casual of observers.  The delegates who elected Gleason were looking for change, progress, and modernization.  Gleason took up this charge and moved the headquarters to its current location at 17 Battery Place, then focused on settling the union's troubled financial affairs. 

 In 1965, Gleason negotiated what was at the time, the longest lasting ILA contract in history.  It was also the first truly forward-looking contract the union signed.  This focus on the future of longshoring in general and the welfare of ILA members was characteristic of Gleason's twenty-four (24) year tenure as ILA president.  As automation and containerization increased, Gleason's foresight saved countless jobs.  Gleason-era initiatives such as the Guaranteed Annual Income (GAI) program, the Job Security Program (JSP) and the "Rules on Containers" (The Rules) have endured, often against bitter opposition, to this day.  Under Gleason, the ILA once again became a strong and powerful force in the world of labor.

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