NORTH BERGEN, NJ (December 15, 2024) President-elect Donald J. Trump followed up his two-hour meeting this past Thursday (December 12, 2024) with ILA President Harold J. Daggett and ILA Executive Vice President Dennis A. Daggett where he expressed strong support for iLA Longshore Workers in their current contract battle with United States Maritime Alliance over job-killing automation, by reposting a Facebook message from Dennis Daggett on his Truth Social page.
President Trump shared ILA Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett’s Facebook message where he praised the incoming President for being “attentive to our needs…receptive and genuinely engaged in a discussion about the existential threat automation poses” onto his Truth Social page, rocketing the ILA message to his 8.36 million followers.
President Trump’s welcomed message of support for the 85,000 iLA members this past Thursday was a major boost for the ILA as it hopes to secure a new Master Contract with USMX before the January 15, 2025, deadline.
International President Harold Daggett enjoys a strong relationship with President-Elect Donald Trump that goes back decades. At his second meeting in 13 months with Mr. Trump at his Mar-A-Lago office in Palm Beach, Florida, President Daggett updated the incoming President on the current statis of negotiations with USMX, expressing frustration over the employer’s attempt to insert language into their current ILA-USMX Master Contract proposal that would open the door for automation and destroy ILA longshore workers and their families. President Trump quickly dispatched a pro-worker, pro-ILA message on Truth Social after Thursday’s meeting with the two ILA leaders, echoing and supporting the ILA’s position against automation and semi-automation at U.S. ports.
“There has been a lot of discussion having to do with ‘automation on United States docks,” President Trump wrote. “I’ve studied automation and know just about everything there is to know about it. The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.”
On Friday, Dennis Daggett reflected on the meeting he and President Harold Daggett had with President-Elect Trump on his Facebook Page, a message that Mr. Trump later reposted over the weekend on his “Truth Social” Page.
“I had the honor of meeting with President-elect Donald Trump yesterday, and I want to share an experience I never imagined in my wildest dreams,” Dennis Daggett wrote in his Facebook post. “Throughout my career, I’ve never seen a Politician– let alone the President of the United States – truly understand the importance of the work our members do every single day. But yesterday, President-elect Trump not only demonstrated that understanding but also showed the utmost respect for the hard work, sacrifices, and dedication of our membership.”
International President Harold Daggett expressed high praise for President-elect Trump following his reposting of Dennis Daggett’s message to almost 90-million followers around the world.
“By his words and his actions, President-elect Trump is demonstrating strong support and a commitment to help ILA longshore workers,” ILA President Daggett said. “I can’t believe how he’s coming out for us. I hope USMX is observing.”
