Education

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This education link has been set up to keep all ILA members informed of what’s taking place in our industry; past and present. This site will include articles, stories, photographs and videos. At times, some of the videos will include training and be educational. Other times, we will take a look into our past and learn more and more about the history of this union and how it was built into what it is today.

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ILA Education/History

ILA Education/History

OFFICIAL ILA EDUCATION/HISTORY PAGE ENDORSED BY OUR INTERNATIONAL

Never forget the sacrifices ILA members made to build our great union into what it is today

Peru, South America

ILA Local 1804-1 banner makes it all the way to South America.

ILA Local 1804-1 member Jimmy Fitzpatrick (far right) out of TIR Maher Terminals proudly displays banner during his visit to Peru, South America.

**ILA WORLDWIDE**

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation
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Peru, South America 

ILA Local 1804-1 banner makes it all the way to South America.

ILA Local 1804-1 member Jimmy Fitzpatrick (far right) out of TIR Maher Terminals proudly displays banner during his visit to Peru, South America. 

**ILA WORLDWIDE**

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

7 CommentsComment on Facebook

2046 Port of Savannah. Hell yeah

Awesome fitzy!!

Yeah buddy! Way to represent! Stay safe

SALUDOS Y DISFRUTEN DEL PERÚ, ABRAZOS A LA ILA DESDE EL PUERTO DEL CALLAO- PERÚ HERMANOS ESTIBADORES.

Awesome I can't wait because I'm doing a trip down there I'm going to the Antarctica and I'll be leaving somewhere out of Peru I would love to get an Ila flag I have to talk to Dennis about this 1804-1 Ila all the way

Bienvenido Jimmy Fistzpatrick

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Port of Charleston

ILA Local 1771 President Lance McLaughlin welcomes the clerks and checkers at the Port of Charleston to their monthly membership meeting on June 16, 2026.

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Port of Charleston 

ILA Local 1771 President Lance McLaughlin welcomes the clerks and checkers at the Port of Charleston to their monthly membership meeting on June 16, 2026. 

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

5 CommentsComment on Facebook

Legend Lance!!!! Love this guy!

My baby cousin...such a Boss!! 🤩

Appreciate the hard work👍🏼

Nice work fellas

ILA Local 1771 🇺🇸❤️💪 Thanks Kenny Olkers !!

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Port of NY/NJ
Port Botany, Australia

MUA VISITS ILA AT MAHER TERMINALS AT PORT NEWARK, NJ

Australian port visit at Maher terminal took place on June 16, 2026 led by Maritime Union of Australia member Josh Teale, who is the maintenance delegate out of Port Botany, Patrick’s Terminal in Sydney, Australia.

ILA Local 1804-1 Business Agent Billy Hartigan was joined by Master Foremen Patrick Kelly and Bobby Rispoli (both of ILA Local 1804-1) as they walked them through the inspection process and educated them about our Port of Discovery system the ILA uses to track damages on containers.

They toured the power, strad and crane shops and met some of the rank and file maintenance workers.
Josh Teale was able to sit in the crane simulator Maher Terminals uses for training ILA members.
At the end of the day, Richie McCoy, crane foreman and Bobby Rispoli brought them up on the actual crane the ILA members use to keep commerce moving around the world.

The Maritime Union of Australia is among the strongest and most active, rank-and-file led trade unions across Australia.

Tracing its roots back to 1872, for well over a century the MUA has fought for workers' rights, entitlements, and the common good.

The MUA has 17,000 members and is the union for those working in industries such as:

-Port services and container terminals
-Stevedoring
-Shipping
-Seafaring
-Offshore oil and gas industries
-Ferries
-Diving

Thank you Billy Hartigan for forwarding us the photographs and contributing to this story.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation
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Port of NY/NJ
Port Botany, Australia 

MUA VISITS ILA AT MAHER TERMINALS AT PORT NEWARK, NJ

Australian port visit at Maher terminal took place on June 16, 2026 led by Maritime Union of Australia member Josh Teale, who is the maintenance delegate out of Port Botany, Patrick’s Terminal in Sydney, Australia. 

ILA Local 1804-1 Business Agent Billy Hartigan was joined by Master Foremen Patrick Kelly and Bobby Rispoli (both of ILA Local 1804-1) as they walked them through the inspection process and educated them about our Port of Discovery system the ILA uses to track damages on containers. 

They toured the power, strad and crane shops and met some of the rank and file maintenance workers. 
Josh Teale was able to sit in the crane simulator Maher Terminals uses for training ILA members. 
At the end of the day, Richie McCoy, crane foreman and Bobby Rispoli brought them up on the actual crane the ILA members use to keep commerce moving around the world. 

The Maritime Union of Australia is among the strongest and most active, rank-and-file led trade unions across Australia. 

Tracing its roots back to 1872, for well over a century the MUA has fought for workers rights, entitlements, and the common good.

The MUA has 17,000 members and is the union for those working in industries such as:

-Port services and container terminals
-Stevedoring
-Shipping
-Seafaring
-Offshore oil and gas industries
-Ferries
-Diving

Thank you Billy Hartigan for forwarding us the photographs and contributing to this story. 

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociationImage attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment

5 CommentsComment on Facebook

Thank you to Billy, Bobby and all that showed us such great warmth and hospitality. I don’t know how you all work at these heights everyday and admire the work you do. As someone who is scared of heights and did not let go of the rails 😁 I will never forget this experience.

Thanks to William Hartigan and Bobby for making today happen. Grateful for the hospitality they showed as always and allowed myself, my wife and some friends to have a close up look at our industry in 🇺🇸. Solidarity with the ILA.

Go Union

❤️❤️❤️

MUA rocks!

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Longshoremen welcome Statue of Liberty as she arrives on the docks of New York Harbor 141 years ago

June 17, 1885, the dismantled Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of America, arrives in New York Harbor after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 individual pieces packed in more than 200 cases. The copper and iron statue, which was reassembled and dedicated the following year in a ceremony presided over by U.S. President Grover Cleveland, became known around the world as an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy.
Intended to commemorate the American Revolution, the abolition of slavery, following the U.S. Civil War, and a century of friendship between the U.S. and France, the statue was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, with assistance from engineer Gustave Eiffel, who later developed the iconic tower in Paris bearing his name. The statue was initially scheduled to be finished by 1876, the 100th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence.
Finally completed in Paris in the summer of 1884, the statue, a robed female figure with an uplifted arm holding a torch, reached its new home on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885. After being reassembled, the 450,000-pound statue was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, by President Cleveland. Standing more than 305 feet from the foundation of its pedestal to the top of its torch, the statue, dubbed “Liberty Enlightening the World” by Bartholdi, was taller than any structure in New York City at the time.
In 1892, Ellis Island, located near Bedloe’s Island (which in 1956 was renamed Liberty Island), opened as America’s chief immigration station, and for the next 62 years Lady Liberty, as the statue is nicknamed, stood watch over the more than 12 million immigrants who sailed into New York Harbor.
Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of America’s most famous landmarks. Over the years, it has been the site of political rallies and protests, has been featured in numerous movies and countless photographs, and has received millions of visitors from around the globe.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation
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Longshoremen welcome Statue of Liberty as she arrives on the docks of New York Harbor 141 years ago

June 17, 1885, the dismantled Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of America, arrives in New York Harbor after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 individual pieces packed in more than 200 cases. The copper and iron statue, which was reassembled and dedicated the following year in a ceremony presided over by U.S. President Grover Cleveland, became known around the world as an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy.
Intended to commemorate the American Revolution, the abolition of slavery, following the U.S. Civil War, and a century of friendship between the U.S. and France, the statue was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, with assistance from engineer Gustave Eiffel, who later developed the iconic tower in Paris bearing his name. The statue was initially scheduled to be finished by 1876, the 100th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence. 
Finally completed in Paris in the summer of 1884, the statue, a robed female figure with an uplifted arm holding a torch, reached its new home on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885. After being reassembled, the 450,000-pound statue was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, by President Cleveland. Standing more than 305 feet from the foundation of its pedestal to the top of its torch, the statue, dubbed “Liberty Enlightening the World” by Bartholdi, was taller than any structure in New York City at the time.
In 1892, Ellis Island, located near Bedloe’s Island (which in 1956 was renamed Liberty Island), opened as America’s chief immigration station, and for the next 62 years Lady Liberty, as the statue is nicknamed, stood watch over the more than 12 million immigrants who sailed into New York Harbor. 
Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of America’s most famous landmarks. Over the years, it has been the site of political rallies and protests, has been featured in numerous movies and countless photographs, and has received millions of visitors from around the globe.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

8 CommentsComment on Facebook

Bravo !!

WhetR was she unloaded in port of NY?

So Amazing

Thank you for this story, very interesting. 

Incredible!

WOW.

History

Very cool!🤙

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Bedminster, NJ

ILA LOCAL 1 GOLF OUTING

ILA Local 1 President David Cicalese welcomes delegates, members and guests to their annual golf outing at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ.
All proceeds from the golf outing will go towards the Local 1 scholarship fund.

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Bedminster, NJ

ILA LOCAL 1 GOLF OUTING 

ILA Local 1 President David Cicalese welcomes delegates, members and guests to their annual golf outing at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ. 
All proceeds from the golf outing will go towards the Local 1 scholarship fund. 

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociationImage attachmentImage attachment+Image attachment

3 CommentsComment on Facebook

You came a long way by friend my grandfather and your grandad were best buddies back in the old days when the bar was in Down Neck Newark you know what I'm talking about Walter keene

Kudos to the ILA Local 1 team for a successful event!

Go Union

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

IDC TO HOST ITS 10TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN RIO DE JANEIRO IN NOVEMBER 2026

The International Dockworkers Council will be hosting its 10th General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 17-19, 2026.

The International Dockworkers Council (IDC) is an association formed by organizations and unions of dockworkers from around the world.
Under the direction of ILA International President Harold J. Daggett, The International Longshoremen’s Association officially joined the IDC in 2011.
The IDC was officially founded on 27 June 2000, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

IDC TO HOST ITS 10TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN RIO DE JANEIRO IN NOVEMBER 2026 

The International Dockworkers Council will be hosting its 10th General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 17-19, 2026. 

The International Dockworkers Council (IDC) is an association formed by organizations and unions of dockworkers from around the world.
Under the direction of ILA International President Harold J. Daggett, The International Longshoremen’s Association officially joined the IDC in 2011. 
The IDC was officially founded on 27 June 2000, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

2 CommentsComment on Facebook

Juntos trabajadores del mundo, a defender nuestra fuente de trabajo y nuestra identidad !

Let us come together, workers of the world, let us defend our work and our identity!

Port of Philadelphia
October 16, 1962

ILA members gather as they wait for a union meeting to commence near Pier 4 at the Port of Philadelphia during the fall of 1962.

We are the International Longshoremen’s Association and we honor, respect and recognize all who came before us that built our incredible union into to what we all have today.
Established 1892.

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Port of Philadelphia 
October 16, 1962 

ILA members gather as they wait for a union meeting to commence near Pier 4 at the Port of Philadelphia during the fall of 1962. 

We are the International Longshoremen’s Association and we honor, respect and recognize all who came before us that built our incredible union into to what we all have today.
Established 1892. 

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

2 CommentsComment on Facebook

✌️ 🇺🇸

Go Union

RESPECT THE STARS AND STRIPES
FLAG DAY
JUNE 14, 2026

Flag Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation that designated June 14 Flag Day.
This U.S. flag waves high and proud along with the ILA Local 1804-1 flag at Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark, NJ.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation
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RESPECT THE STARS AND STRIPES 
FLAG DAY 
JUNE 14, 2026 

Flag Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation that designated June 14 Flag Day. 
This U.S. flag waves high and proud along with the ILA Local 1804-1 flag at Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark, NJ.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

4 CommentsComment on Facebook

God bless America 🇺🇸

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Go Union

Right on I agree

Port Miami

ILA Local 1588 members proudly come together to support ILA International Vice President Virgil Maldonado on the evening he is recognized and honored at the “Night in White” at Port Miami.

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Port Miami

ILA Local 1588 members proudly come together to support ILA International Vice President Virgil Maldonado on the evening he is recognized and honored at the “Night in White” at Port Miami.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation

18 CommentsComment on Facebook

Now that’s a nice dam picture people!! New money with a smile !!

Together As One 🌹

Very cool guys 💪💪

Looking good!!

Lookin good my Brothers!! 👍👍

Well done, ILA members, keep up the good work! 👏

Looking great!

Congratulations to my friend Virgil Maldonado

Love this!!!

✊🫶

“A Class Act”… 💯

Looking good brothers!!

Good looking ☺️

Congratulations to ILA International Vice President on your well-deserved recognition!

Yikes.

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Port of Savannah

ILA Local 1414 Business Agents Ferguson and Johnson are out on the port keeping members hydrated on this day at the Port of Savannah when the temperatures topped out into the 90’s.

Today, ILA Local 1414 dispatched 30 gangs for container vessels.
It was 90 degrees in the Port City of Savannah, GA and the Business Agents of ILA Local 1414, Terrius Ferguson and Ahmad Johnson, were out serving the longshoremen and longshorewomen with cold Gatorade and water.

“People ask us why we love our position. Truth is, it’s bigger than sitting behind a desk or speaking at a microphone. It’s about showing up, serving, and caring for the men and women who work day and night in this heat.”

That’s what leadership looks like!

Terrius Ferguson and Ahmad Johnson
ILA Local 1414 Business Agents

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Port of Savannah 

ILA Local 1414 Business Agents Ferguson and Johnson are out on the port keeping members hydrated on this day at the Port of Savannah when the temperatures topped out into the 90’s. 

Today, ILA Local 1414 dispatched 30 gangs for container vessels. 
It was 90 degrees in the Port City of Savannah, GA and the Business Agents of ILA Local 1414, Terrius Ferguson and Ahmad Johnson, were out serving the longshoremen and longshorewomen with cold Gatorade and water. 

“People ask us why we love our position. Truth is, it’s bigger than sitting behind a desk or speaking at a microphone.  It’s about showing up, serving, and caring for the men and women who work day and night in this heat.” 

That’s what leadership looks like!

Terrius Ferguson and Ahmad Johnson
ILA Local 1414 Business Agents

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociationImage attachmentImage attachment

57 CommentsComment on Facebook

90 my butt, it was hot af out there today,

That savannah heat ain’t no joke #2046

30 gangs?? Wow

That's right ILA 🥰🥰

Great work is an understatement, amazing job! 😊

My local does Great work .

It was 98 with 108 heat index

Heat index ranged from 105 to 114 today in Savannah !!! Way to go gentlemen!! Definitely much needed on the docks !

My favorite business agents!! Way to go guys

Love that it takes a village to do the job 1414

Great Job

Standing ovation we put the right persons in the seat. Keep up the good work.

Im ready 💯 im coming this year 💪

Love yall BB'S s💪

Yall should’ve sent us some while we were up there lashing.😂💪🏿❤️ BB (Beyond Blessed) 🫡Thank you guys for your service.

Awesome.1414

Unsung heroes of our area!! 🙌🏼 TY

Yes 🙌🏾 🙌🏾🙌🏾

So hot

ILA2046ALLTHEWAY

The crew worked a RORO at CST in Charleston on Saturday. Idk how they did it in that heat. Everyone please be safe out there on the docks!

Awesome Leadership 👌

Fasho, Hot, Cold, raining, freezing, longshoremen are out there,I.L.A strong

Team work definitely makes the dream work 👌🏽💪🏽👍🏽💯

Union STRONG 💪🏽... Awesome Job 👍🏾

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