Port workers establish summit date, venue

The North Bergen, New Jersey-based International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the Spain-based International Dockworkers (IDC) will jointly conduct a Global Dockworkers Summit on Nov. 5-6 in Lisbon.

The Lisbon Summit – People over Profit: Anti-Automation Conference is aimed to be a way for the two unions to show solidarity to confront what they consider the threat of automation.

“The threat is real for all maritime workers at ports around the world,” ILA president Harold J. Daggett says. “Corporations will continue to crush dock worker jobs and careers unless global maritime unions unite to defend our jobs, our families and our future.”

Daggett was the union’s chief negotiator when the ILA won what is says are strong protections against automation at ILA Eastern and Gulf ports last year, culminating in a new six-year agreement.

Daggett was joined at the announcement ceremony by his son, ILA Executive Vice President Dennis A. Daggett, who also serves as global coordinator with the IDC, plus ILA Secretary-Treasurer Stephen Knott and Jordi Aragundi, the IDC’s labor coordinator.

The ocean-going freight system was tested heavily by the COVID-19 pandemic, when ports first in China and then other parts of the world experienced shutdowns and pandemic-related restrictions, stranding ships and cargo and causing fluctuating freight rates and shipping container positioning woes.

This year, ports in the United States continue to function in the midst of a federal government shutdown, although the Federal Maritime Commission is one shipping-related agency where activity has been idled.