In a scene straight out of The Sopranos, video has emerged of Harold Daggett, the chief negotiator for the International Longshoreman’s Association, threatening to “cripple” the U.S. economy.
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RedState has been reporting that a strike was looming, and the dockworkers made good on their threats by walking off the job at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. The union foresaw a time in the not-so-distant future when robotics and AI would take over their profession, so they decided to double down and demand a significant increase in wages.
The ILA is reportedly asking for raises of $5 an hour, per year, which would be an immediate 12.8% pay hike on the current top pay of $39 an hour. Repeating that $5 an hour increase each year would result in raises totaling 77% during the life of the contract.
The union is also seeking a total ban on the use of automation in their industry.
In the video that’s taking the internet by storm now that the strike has begun, the Queens-born Daggett, sporting a gold chain around his neck, lays out in minute detail what will happen to the U.S. economy if the strike is allowed to linger.
When my men hit the streets from Maine to Texas, every single port locked down.
You know what’s going to happen?
I’ll tell you.
First week, be all over the news every night, boom, boom, second week.
Guys who sell cars can’t sell cars, because the cars ain’t coming in off the ships.
They get laid off.
Third week, malls are closing down.
They can’t get the goods from China.
They can’t sell clothes.
They can’t do this.
Everything in the United States comes on a ship.
They go out of business.
Construction workers get laid off because the materials aren’t coming in.
The steel’s not coming in.
The lumber’s not coming in.
They lose their job.
Everybody’s hating the longshoremen now because now they realize how important our jobs are.
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He’s not wrong, and he certainly doesn’t hold back when summarizing the lengths to which they will take the strike: “I will cripple you, and you have no idea what that means. Nobody does.”
It’s worth watching the video to get the full of effect of Daggett threatening to cripple the U.S. economy in his thick New York accent. He’s straight out of central casting.
Bada bing, bada boom. It would almost be funny if the consequences weren’t so high for Americans, who have just recovered from one supply chain breakdown and are now faced with another.
Lest you think Daggett is a humble man of the people, here’s a look at his cushy lifestyle:
Despite his eminent blue collar credentials, the union baron earned $728,000 last year from the ILA, plus another $173,000 as president emeritus of a local union branch, Politico reported.
He previously owned a 76-foot yacht, the Obsession, and has been spotted by his members riding in a Bentley, according to The New York Times.
Mr. Daggett can well afford a long, drawn-out strike, but many Americans will suffer greatly because of it. And, at a time when the nation is dealing with soaring prices and a significant portion of the southeast has been ravaged by Hurricane Helene, Joe Biden can’t be bothered to get off the beach and Kamala Harris can’t figure out how to plug in her earbuds.
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Biden signaled Monday that he wouldn’t get involved in the dockworkers’ strike, despite having previously intervened in a possible strike by rail workers. When asked if he’d get involved this time around, Biden said he wouldn’t, as he doesn’t believe in the Taft-Hartley Act.
With only five weeks until the election, this strike could turn into a big negative for Kamala Harris. RedState will keep you updated.