NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (January 10, 2023) The leadership of the world-wide International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC) sent a 2023 New Year’s message to ILA International President Harold J. Daggett, pledging the support of the IDC and its 140,000 global dockworker members to help “safeguard the future of the ILA dockworkers and their families.”
In a letter signed by seven IDC Coordinators representing regions around the world, the IDC wrote: “The IDC would like to send its best wishes to the ILA members for 2023 which is just beginning and will be crucial for the future of the workers during the next six years along the ports of the East Coast, Eastern Canada, the Great Lakes, Major U.S. Rivers, Puerto Rico and Bahamas.”
ILA Locals at ports from Maine to Texas are currently engaged in local bargaining, in preparation for potential USMX-ILA Master Contract negotiations sometime this year. The current USMX-ILA Master Contract runs for another 21 months, expiring on September 30, 2024.
“IDC is aware of the hard work in the negotiations that the ILA is carrying out to ensure the best conditions in the new Master Contract, a reference in terms of stability and port development for the workers around the world,” the IDC wrote. “That is why we offer the full support of the more than 140,000 dockworkers worldwide under the IDC umbrella, to the members and officers in charge of the negotiations, especially Dennis A. Daggett, ILA Executive Vice President and our esteemed IDC General Coordinator.”
The New Year’s Greeting to ILA President Daggett and the pledge of solidarity was signed by: Paul Keating, IDC Asia & Oceania Coordinator; Andy Green, IDC European Coordinator; César Lune, IDC Latin America Coordinator; Ed Ferris, IDC West Coast (USA) Coordinator; Guigrehi Aklegbou Pierre, IDC African Coordinator; Kenneth Riley, IDC East Coast (USA) Coordinator; and Jordi Aragunde, IDC International Labor Coordinator.
“On behalf of our 75,000 members, I want to thank the IDC for their continued support in all our efforts in negotiations,” said ILA President Daggett. “It works both ways and dockworkers united around the world is a powerful force.”
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