NORTH BERGEN, NJ (March 12, 2025) In 1972, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) last received an increase in dues from its members. That was 53 years ago—longer than I have been alive. And yet, in that time, the ILA has fought and delivered on some of the most crucial victories in modern labor history.
In recent times, we have had success in cases such as:
- The Waterfront Commission Case, where we protected our autonomy and fought back against overreach.
- The Hugh Leatherman Terminal Case, where we successfully defended the ILA’s jurisdiction and protected our work preservation agreements.
- Coastwide Master Bargaining, where we secured an historic 62% wage increase, removed the cap on Container Royalty, arguably the best healthcare in the country, a nationwide defined contribution for retirement, and jurisdiction and automation protections that will not only safeguard us but future generations of ILA members.
These victories were not won against small businesses or weak opposition. We are negotiating with and standing up to some of the richest and most powerful companies in the world. These corporations have billions at their disposal, the best lawyers money can buy, and an agenda that prioritizes profit over people.
Each of these battles was fought with resources, and resources require funding. The old saying holds true: money is power—and in the labor movement, it’s the power to negotiate, litigate, and organize.
The Cost of Fighting for Workers
Unions, and the ILA in particular, do not just exist to collect dues. We are here to deliver for our members, to fight for their rights, and to protect their livelihoods.
But lately, we’ve seen a disturbing trend in a small percentage of people in certain ports and locals.
There are workers who are happy to take the benefits our union has won for them—the wages, healthcare, pensions, and job protections—but refuse to pay their fair share in dues.
That ideology is completely foreign to me. I grew up around true trade unionists—men and women who would give their lives for this union. To think that someone would gladly take all the union has to offer but refuse to contribute 2% in dues is not only insulting—it’s dangerous.
And let’s be clear: this is not an outcry against the majority of our members. 95% plus of the workforce supports their union. But the fact that even a small fraction of our ranks would choose to weaken us from within is heartbreaking.
What Drives This Anti-Union Mentality?
It’s hard to understand what motivates some to refuse to support their union. Greed? Rebellion? Personal vendettas? Maybe they disagree with a local work rule that may or may not affect them. Maybe they have a personal issue with an official. But whatever the reason, choosing to undermine the union that fights for you every day is short-sighted at best and anti-union at worst.
We just showed the world what the ILA is capable of when we stand shoulder to shoulder. And now, there are those who, instead of celebrating that victory, choose to go against the grain, not because they have a real issue with the union, but because they want to make a statement—at the cost of the very organization that fights for them.
The Legal and Moral Obligation to Pay Dues
Some may attempt to justify not paying dues by citing the Janus v. AFSCME case (2018). Even though I do not personally support the Janus decision, I am simply using it here as an example or comparison. That Supreme Court ruling applied strictly to public-sector unions, where the Court ruled that public employees cannot be required to pay union fees as a condition of employment, arguing that it violates First Amendment rights.
But let’s be honest—Mark Janus was just another person trying to destroy the union from within, probably looking to make a name for himself. Like so many others before him, he was used as a pawn by anti-union forces to weaken organized labor under the guise of “freedom of choice.” But there was nothing free about it—his case was funded by corporate-backed interest groups whose sole mission is to weaken unions, strip workers of their rights, and increase corporate profits at workers’ expense.
This has no application in private-sector unions like the ILA.
ILA members are part of an organization that has fought for industry-leading wages, benefits, and job security, and the ability to maintain and grow that strength depends on every member contributing their fair share.
“Right to Work” Laws: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
The term “Right to Work” sounds like a positive thing—after all, who wouldn’t support the right to work? But make no mistake, these laws were carefully crafted by anti-union legislators and their corporate sponsors to cripple unions from within. The strategy was simple:
- Starve the union of resources.
- Weaken its bargaining power.
- Make it harder to fight back against corporate overreach.
- Ultimately, destroy the union from within.
It’s a corporate-backed attack on workers, wrapped in a misleading slogan that disguises its true intent: to make it harder for unions to protect their members.
And in non-Right to Work states, the same weapon exists under a different name—the Beck Rule. This rule allows workers in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying full dues, arguing that they shouldn’t have to contribute to political activities. But in reality, it’s just another union-busting tactic, forcing unions to spend time and money calculating reduced fees instead of fighting for workers.
Let’s be honest: there is no business in America that would allow you to take their services for free.
- You cannot live in a neighborhood and refuse to pay your HOA fees while still expecting your community to maintain the roads, pools, and parks.
- You cannot tell the IRS, “I still want roads, police, and fire services, but I’m not paying my taxes.”
- You cannot walk into a gym, use their equipment, and say, “I don’t believe in membership fees.”
So why should anyone think they can be part of a union, enjoy union wages, union benefits, and union protection—without contributing to the union?
Moving Forward: A Call to Strengthen Our Union
We should still be riding high after securing one of the greatest contracts in the history of organized labor. Instead, we have some in the workforce trying to bring us down from within.
Some might say, “Nothing is perfect.”
To them, I say: “We won’t stop fighting until it is.”
But we cannot win that fight alone. A union is only as strong as the solidarity and commitment of its members. The ILA has fought too hard for too long to be undermined by those who refuse to stand with the organization that fights for them.
We are standing up to some of the wealthiest and most powerful corporations in the world—companies that would love nothing more than to see us divided and weakened.
The answer is simple: It will take all of us to win this fight, not some of us.
We must be more united than ever to fight back against the powers that be, both visible and concealed.
Support your Union and remember: if we are together, it’s impossible to fail!!
Submitted by Dennis A. Daggett