Harold Daggett, a union head with alleged ties to organized crimes is now reportedly at logger heads with the Biden administration.
Daggett is most renowned for his leadership of the International Longshoremen’s Association, which is on the brink of a strike next week, which would result in the closure of dozens of East and Gulf Coast ports, thereby disrupting the economy just weeks before the election.
The union’s demands regarding port automation and wages will result in approximately 45,000 terminal workers leaving their positions this Tuesday if the port ownership fails to meet them.
Daggett’s prospective strike would pit him against his former political allies in the Biden-Harris administration.
Under Daggett’s leadership, the ILA has contributed over $1.6 million to Democrats, and in total, the organization has contributed over $8 million to Democrats.
Daggett, who has previously supported President Joe Biden, has contributed a minimum of $1,500 to Democratic candidates.
However, Daggett has resorted to berating Biden amid the breakdown of negotiations between the union and the White House.
Before becoming the leader of the entire International Longshoremen’s Association in 2011, he served as the head of the influential New Jersey union, Local 1804-1.
Last year, he earned $728,000 as the union president and an additional $173,000 as the president emeritus of the New Jersey local.
A mob conspiracy to elect Daggett as the union’s leader was alleged by federal prosecutors in 2004.
Ultimately, Daggett was cleared of any misconduct, and he denied the accusations, asserting that he had the support of his colleagues.
Since the negotiations broke down over the summer, Daggett has been warning that a strike is imminent for months. However, the industry did not seem to be treating him seriously until recently.
That is beginning to shift with only four days remaining to negotiate.
The union leader anticipated that a strike would have a catastrophic impact on the economy, asserting that it would be the subject of extensive media coverage during the initial week.
“In today’s world, I’ll cripple you. I will cripple you, and you have no idea what that means.” Daggett said in a video posted earlier this month.
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