ILWU President Willie Adams Pledges Solidarity With ILA In Negotiations With USMX

“ILWU and ILA Remain Militant and Resolute In Our Fight Against Automation”

NORTH BERGEN, NJ (August 16, 2024) The leader of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), Willie E. Adams, today reaffirmed his union’s support for the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and its negotiations with United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), in a letter sent to ILA leader, Harold J. Daggett.

“As you continue negotiating and move close to the expiration of your contract, the ILWU stands in solidarity with the ILA for a fair contract that respects dockworkers and protects our jurisdiction,” ILWU International President Willie Adams wrote. “From coast to coast, the ILWU and the ILA remain militant and resolute in our fight against automation. We will not settle for a substandard deal that does not adequately address our concerns about the future of our workplace and the safety of our members.”

In response, ILA President Harold Daggett said, “Knowing we have this support from the ILWU arms us with a powerful weapon to fight the intentions of so many greedy shippers, who put profits over people, and fail to recognize the contributions your members and mine have made to this industry.”

The full text of President Willie Adams’s letter appears below.