$17 Billion Earmarked For Port and Inland Waterway Improvements That Benefits ILA
NORTH BERGEN, NJ (March 31, 2021) – Harold J. Daggett, President, international Longshoremen’s Association, issued the following statement today on President Joseph Biden’s “American Jobs Plan.”
The officers and 65,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association applaud President Joe Biden’s ambitious and much needed “American Jobs Plan” that is an investment in America that will create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China.
The ILA celebrates that $17 billion of the proposed plan is earmarked to repair our nation’s ports and inland waterways. The Biden Administration is finally addressing the backlog of Army Corps of Engineers projects such as dredging and port-widening. As a leading maritime union, the ILA notes President Biden’s strong commitment to support the Jones Act and the
labor friendly PRO Act, that protects all American’s right to organize.
President Biden knows that the ILA supports his efforts to “Build Back Better” but have made it clear that no federal money should be used to support automating our nation’s ports at the expense of ILA jobs. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to protect all longshore jobs from automation and we applaud his support for the rights of workers to organize.
The ILA urges strong bi-partisan support for President Biden’s “American Jobs Plan” and urge all Members of Congress to help our nation recover.