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By Mandy Taheri
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International Longshoremen's Association President Harold J. Daggett and the union are drawing attention in the lead-up to the election as the port strike continues, with the ILA's political action committee predominantly donating to Democratic candidates, and Daggett having only donated to one Democratic candidate.
Nearly 50,000 port workers agreed to strike on Monday night after a collective bargaining agreement for a new six-year contract with the United States Maritime Alliance employer group wasn't reached**.** The strike has the potential to halt imports to the United States, and Daggett previously warned that it would "crush" the United States economy. The strike comes nearly one month ahead of the extremely tight presidential election.
Daggett, the strike's leader, has been thrust into the spotlight overnight. His relationships and salary are under scrutiny, including social media users sharing a photo of him and former President Donald Trump from a November meeting at Mar-a-Lago, which some claim suggests he is supporting the GOP nominee in next month's election.
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Neither Daggett nor the ILA have endorsed either presidential candidate this year. In 2020, both Daggett and ILA supported President Joe Biden. Unions are no longer defaulting to supporting the Democratic candidate as was predominantly the case in previous years.
Earlier this month, the Teamsters union, representing more than 1.3 million workers, said it would not endorse any presidential candidate in the 2024 election. This is the first time since 1996 that the union has opted not to back a candidate.
Daggett hasn't donated to any political race since 2013, when he gave $1,500 to New Jersey state Senator Barbara Buona's unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial run against Republican Chris Christie, according to FollowTheMoney.com.
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The ILA PAC typically donates to Democratic candidates but also supports Republicans. In the 2024 election cycle, the PAC has given $115,000 to Democrats and $5,000 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets. None of the funds are designated for presidential candidates, focusing mainly on U.S. House campaigns.
Newsweek reached out to Daggett and the ILA for comment via email on Wednesday evening.
In 2022, the PAC contributed nearly double, with $220,000 to Democratic candidates and $13,500 to Republicans. In the last 10 years, most annual contributions have averaged under $200,000—significantly less than in previous decades. In 2000, the PAC gave $562,300 to Democrats and $41,750 to Republicans, a total of $607,050. The largest individual campaign donations at the time were $18,000 to then-Democratic Whip David Bonior.
A separately registered ILA PAC identifies North Bergen, New Jersey—where the union is headquartered—in its name. Similarly, the PAC contributes to campaigns and other PACs, making several small donations to state and U.S. House races. In 2020, it donated $5,000 to Biden's presidential campaign and $50,000 to a general majority PAC, according to OpenSecrets.
On Wednesday, the ILA announced it is donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross "Hurricane Helene Relief" fund and called upon members to participate and grow the donation.
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