Education

ILA Education/History

21 hours ago

Port of Baltimore
April 23, 2026
Martin’s Valley Mansion
594 Valley Mansion
Cockeysville, Maryland

THE TRAFFIC CLUB OF BALTIMORE
111TH ANNUAL DINNER HONORING TRANSPORTATION PERSONS OF THE YEAR:

THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BALTIMORE INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN’S ASSOCIATION

CONGRATULATIONS!!

The International Longshoremen’s Association at the Port of Baltimore has proven itself as one of the most vital, adaptable and dependable pillars of the city’s maritime and economic life.
The ILA represents generations of skilled dockworkers, equipment operators, checkers and specialized maritime professionals.
The ILA has helped shape Baltimore into one of the nation’s leading and most resilient ports.
From the early days of manual cargo handling to the modern era of containerization, the ILA members have been at the center of every major transformation. Over the decades, the ILA members have worked through wars, economic booms and recessions changing trade patterns, a bridge collapse and evolving logistics demands. Through it all, the ILA have safeguarded the continuous flow of commerce that fuels our national supply chain.
The ILA is honored to be recognized by the Traffic Club of Baltimore. This honor and recognition belongs to every member—past and present.
Accepting this award on behalf of the men and women at the Port of Baltimore is ILA International Vice President/ILA Local 333 President Scott Cowan.

In photograph, left to right, are:
Billy Hartigan, ILA Local 1804-1 Business Agent
Dennis A. Daggett, ILA International Executive Vice President/ILA Local 1804-1 President
Scott Cowan, ILA International Vice President/ ILA Local 333 President
David Cicalese, ILA Atlantic Coast District Vice President/ ILA Local 1 President
Kenny Oelkers, ILA International Education Director
Brian Porter, ILA Local 1804-1 Business Agent
Michael Izzo, ILA Atlantic Coast District Vice President/ ILA Local 920 President
Virgil Maldonado, ILA International Vice President/ILA Local 1588 President

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History

1 day ago

Port of Baltimore
Circa 1920’s

ILA members come together on pay day as the work week ends on the waterfront at the Port of Baltimore sometime during the 1920’s.

Let us all not forget where we came from.
Let us all not forget the blood, sweat and tears the ILA members had to endure to build our great union into what it is we have today.

May God Bless The ILA!!

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History

2 days ago

GOOD MORNING ILA SISTERS AND BROTHERS!!
WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY!!

Have A Great Day Everyone!!
Be Safe!!
God Bless You And Your Families!!

DAY OF ACTION!!
SEPTEMBER 23, 2023

We are the International Longshoremen’s Association
Established 1892

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History

3 days ago

Port of Saint John, NB
Canada

Outgoing ILA Local 273 Executive Board 2024/2026 Last Meeting.
Paul Beckingham, Brian Duplessis, Terry Wilson, Justin Richardson, Rick Nice, Jason Canon, Dwayne Nice and Greg McDade. Great job with lots of challenges in the term .

Shared to us by ILA Local 273
Thank You!

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History

3 days ago

Port of NY/NJ

THE INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN’S ASSOCIATION AND ITS LONG, STORIED HISTORY ON THE NEW YORK WATERFRONT

In photograph, Longshoremen gather outside the old Cunard-White Star Line, Pier 54, of the old Chelsea Pier complex, located at the foot of 14th Street in New York City.

The International Longshoremen’s Association dates back to 1892.
The ILA members on the New York waterfront played a vital role in establishing our union and creating a strong reputation. These were the early days as the ILA began to build their legacy.

ILA members powered the maritime economy that defined New York as a global port that became known around the world.
Greenwich Village’s western edge, where cobblestone streets once met the busy piers of the Hudson River, was, for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, a front line of waterfront labor.
Before container ships and modern ports shifted maritime activity elsewhere, the Hudson River waterfront in Greenwich Village and the adjacent Meatpacking District was a dense and industrious landscape of piers, warehouses, and markets. Ships arrived daily carrying goods from across the Atlantic and rest of the country.
The labor demands of the waterfront were immense. Longshoremen loaded and unloaded cargo, sailors signed on for voyages, and workers processed everything from foodstuffs to manufactured goods. These jobs were often filled by newly arrived immigrants, particularly Irish, German, and later Italians, who formed the backbone of this maritime workforce.
The International Longshoremen’s Association has a long and proud history.
A history we all continue to grow and build until this day.

For more on the history of the International Longshoremen’s Association please type in the following links:
ilaunion.org/ila-history/
ilaunion.org/education/

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History is with Idc International Dockworkers Council Zone Afrique and 5 others.

4 days ago

Port of Algeciras, Spain
February 2017

In this amazing photograph…ILA International Executive Vice President Dennis A. Daggett is surrounded by dockworkers from Algeciras, Spain as they fight for longshoremen to improve better wages and working conditions while at the same time the Prime Minister of Spain was trying to sack all dockworkers and bring in scabs to take their jobs.
This moment proved to be historic as it was only one of two times in the entire history of Spain that Parliament went against the Prime Minister!!
Algeciras is a major port city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, located on the Bay of Gibraltar, serving as a crucial maritime gateway between Europe and Africa.

**ILA WORLDWIDE**
**ILA SOLIDARITY**
————————————————————

Please take a moment to read the message below as Dennis A. Daggett shares his thoughts on that historic day

“There are moments in life that stay with you forever. Moments that do not simply pass through time, but carve themselves into your soul. This day in Algeciras, Spain was one of them.

The morning began with purpose. We sat together with Brother Jordi, the IDC Zone Coordinators, and IDC affiliates from around the world to get a full and detailed briefing on what was truly unfolding in Spain. The situation was as serious as it gets. The Prime Minister was pushing to sack tens of thousands of dockworkers, replace them with a new workforce, and turn those jobs into public sector positions. While we were in that room, the Parliament was convening in Madrid, making decisions that would impact the lives of tens of thousands of working families.

Standing with me were ILA International Vice President Virgil Maldonado, ILA International Vice President Kenny Riley, and our ILA staff member and translator Marc Christine. You could feel the weight of the moment in that meeting. This was not theoretical. This was real time. This was happening as we sat there.

After that meeting, we moved into a press conference where Jordi stood strong before the Spanish media, surrounded by IDC affiliates. His message was clear and unwavering. This was the fight of their lives, and there would not be one step back, and we would not succumb to the pressures of outside forces.

Even the setting carried meaning. The hotel we gathered in stood on historic ground where centuries earlier leaders from Spain and Algeria in Africa signed a peace treaty. It was a place where history had already been written, and on that day, we were about to witness another defining chapter.

During the press conference, the noise outside was impossible to ignore. Fireworks were going off so loud they sounded like bombs. I remember looking over at ILA Vice President, Virgil Maldonado and saying, what did we get ourselves into! That was the intensity of what was building outside those doors.

When we left the hotel, which sat high on a hill like a castle, and began walking down toward the port, the energy grew stronger with every step. The chants got louder. The air was thick with smoke. And then we turned the corner.

What I saw was something I will never forget.

A sea of orange and blue dockworker uniforms stretched as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands of dockworkers and their families standing together, chanting in a deafening, thunderous roar, Ni un Paso Atrás. Not one step back!

The emotion that came over me is hard to put into words. I have been around the ILA my entire life, but I had never seen anything like this before. It was overwhelming. It was powerful. This was not just a protest. This was a movement. This was unity at its highest level.

When I had the opportunity to speak, I felt the weight of that moment in my chest. Alongside leaders from around the world, I poured my heart out. We spoke about solidarity. We spoke about standing together across borders and oceans. We spoke the truth that your fight is our fight. And in that moment, it was real. This was not something out of a movie. This was real life. This was a struggle that demanded everything from those people standing there.

What struck me the most was the families. Spouses standing side by side with the workers. Children there with their parents. The emotion on their faces told the story. This was about protecting their future, their dignity, and their way of life.

As a young man coming up in this industry and in this union, I had only ever dreamed of witnessing something like this. But this was not a dream. This was real. And it was a battle they refused to lose.

And in the end, they did not. For only the second time in the rich history of Spain, Parliament went against the Prime Minister. The dockworkers were victorious!

It was a powerful moment in the history of our dockworker movement, and I was proud to stand there representing the ILA. I was deeply moved by the experience. We came there in struggle, but the energy of the people lifted all of us in a way that is hard to describe.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Brother Jordi and dockworker leaders from around the world, united in true solidarity, is something I will carry with me forever.

That moment changed me. It reminded me why we fight. It reminded me who we fight for.

It reminded me that this movement runs deep in my soul.”

Submitted by:
Dennis A. Daggett ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History

4 days ago

Port of Jacksonville, FL
1910

Longshoremen eating dinner on the docks before the night shift beings at the Port of Jacksonville circa 1910.

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less

ILA Education/History

5 days ago

TOP 10 SHIPPING LINES IN THE WORLD

THE CONTAINERS OF THESE SHIPPING LINES CAN BE SEEN AT ALL ILA PORTS AS THE INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN’S ASSOCIATION MOVES CARGO ALL AROUND THE WORLD ON A DAILY BASIS

#InternationalLongshoremensAssociation ... See MoreSee Less