Harold Daggett: Meet the Union Leader in Charge of the Port Workers Strike

Here’s everything you need to know about the President of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), including his salary and how he has navigated the strike.

Nearly 45,000 dockworkers went on strike at ports along the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S., rallying for higher pay and stronger protections against job automation.

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the union representing the dockworkers, walked off the job on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 50 years, advocating for “the kind of wages we deserve,” as stated by ILA President Harold Daggett in a social media post.

After 13 years as the union’s president, the 78-year-old declared that the striking workers have the upper hand because their work is essential to automakers, retailers, and other businesses that rely on the ports. “We’re going to win this f***ing thing. Trust me,” Daggett said on Tuesday as members picketed outside a port terminal in New Jersey. “They can’t survive too long. We’re going to get what the f*** we deserve.””

However, an update from both the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. (USMX) shared on social media on Thursday, October 3, announced a suspension of the strike after reaching a “tentative” agreement. The agreement extends the previous contract through January 15, allowing both parties time to negotiate further.

Here’s everything you need to know about the third-generation dockworker, including his high salary and some past controversies tied to the mob.

Who Is Harold Daggett?

He joined the union a decade earlier in 1967 after serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. In recent years, he has worked as a union official rather than on the waterfront.

How Much Does Harold Daggett Get Paid?

As union leader and president, Daggett earned $728,694 in 2023, along with an additional $173,040 as president emeritus of the mechanics local chapter at Port Newark in New Jersey, according to documents filed with the Department of Labor.

In contrast, the president of the West Coast dockworkers’ organization, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, earned just over $234,000 last year, aligning more with what leaders of large American unions, like the United Automobile Workers, typically make.

His son, Dennis Daggett, also earned a substantial salary. Currently, he heads the New Jersey local that his father once led and serves as ILA executive vice president, roles that generated a total income of over $700,000 in 2023.

What Was Harold Daggett Accused of in the Past?

Nearly two decades ago, Daggett was accused of being involved in the mob’s efforts to control the powerful ILA union.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn brought a civil racketeering suit against the association in July 2005, alleging that it had been controlled by two New York mob families for about 50 years. After a high-profile trial, a jury acquitted him of fraud and extortion conspiracy. He has denied any accusations of ties to the mob.

According to The New York Times, in a letter submitted to the Supreme Court in 2021, two senior F.B.I. agents from the New York and Newark offices stated, “Successful federal prosecutions have revealed the continued influence of the Genovese and Gambino organized crime families over the International Longshoremen’s Association and waterfront businesses.”

How Has Harold Daggett Run the Union?

Along with the salary differences between union presidents, another significant distinction between the two longshore unions is how they are led and structured. For instance, there was no indication that the union asked all of its members to vote to authorize a strike, a step most unions take and disclose publicly before a walkout. Some members reported that they had not been informed about any plans for strike pay.

Another difference between the ILA and the West Coast Union lies in the pay and pension benefits they have secured. While 14 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts experienced strikes, West Coast ports remained unaffected because their union secured substantial wage increases for their members in 2023. West Coast longshoremen are also entitled to defined-benefit pensions that provide significant, predictable payments in retirement.