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92-700: In 1864, the first modern longshoremen's union was formed in the port of New York . It was called the Longshoremen's Union Protective Association (LUPA). While longshoremen in the United States had organized and conducted strikes before there was a United States, the ILA traces its origins to a union of longshoremen on the Great Lakes : the Association of Lumber Handlers founded in 1877, then renamed

184-574: A Waterfront Commission responsible for regulating the ILA by preventing individuals with a criminal record from holding positions within it. The Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act , passed in 1959, imposed similar restrictions on all private sector unions. The ILA conducted boycotts aimed at trade with the Soviet Union during periods of crisis, such as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan . The Supreme Court ruled in two companion cases in

276-534: A 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument . It includes the system of navigable waterways in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary , which runs along over 770 miles (1,240 km) of shoreline in the vicinity of New York City and northeastern New Jersey , and is considered one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Having long been the busiest port on

368-594: A busy waterfront, the Baltimore's gangs always operated together as a unit, because the experience let them know what each member would do at any given time making a water front a much safer place. At the beginning of the Second World War Polish predominance in the Port of Baltimore would significantly diminish as many Poles left to fight the war. The spirit of rebirth continued as World War II created

460-585: A commercial boom. Following the war, the ILA was at its peak, with wages and membership up. Ryan was elected "Lifetime President", an honorary title reflecting his stature and prominence in the union. Unfortunately for Ryan and the ILA, the union's toughest battle loomed in the near future. In 2018, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor , which provides government oversight of the docks in New York and New Jersey criticized hiring patterns by

552-540: A daily basis. Longshoremen often worked only a day or less per week as a consequence. Work was especially uncertain for those who unloaded trucks and had to appeal to gangsters who controlled this work for employment. The 1950s was a decade of turmoil and trauma for the ILA. Several sensationalist articles printed in New York City newspapers focused on alleged rampant gangsterism on the City's waterfront. The movie On

644-435: A full investigation of the ILA. In actuality, the investigation was more like a trial, with several witnesses testifying against the ILA and its leadership. Eventually, the highly publicized investigation ended with the condemnation of both the ILA and Joseph Ryan as corrupt. The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor was created in 1953 to temporarily oversee the waterfront. The ILA strove to clean house and rid itself of

736-548: A lesser extent unions representing musicians, longshore workers , restaurant employees, and others who work on a transitory and relatively brief basis—must require that employers hire only their members. The open shop was also a key component of the American Plan introduced in the 1920s. In that era the open shop was directed not only at construction unions but also unions in mass production industries. Unions again felt that these proposed policies would give employers

828-482: A man named Joseph P. Ryan was organizing longshoremen as an officer of the ILA's New York District Council and in 1918, president of the ILA's "Atlantic Coast District". In 1921, ILA president Thomas V. O'Connor resigned. Anthony Chlopek , the last of the Great Lakes presidents, was elected ILA International president and Ryan served as his First Vice president for the six years of Chlopek's presidency. Perhaps

920-710: A means of preserving jobs. The National Labor Relations Board originally upheld the challenge, only to be reversed by the United States Supreme Court in two cases in the 1980s that found that the rules were lawful and did not violate federal labor law. However, the Federal Trade Commission later found that the Rules were an impermissible restraint on trade. In 1953 the states of New York and New Jersey entered into an interstate compact, with Congressional approval, that established

1012-456: A slim victory in the May 26, 1954, election, despite aggressive IBL campaigning. In August 1954, the results were finally approved and certified by NLRB, and thus the ILA was given representational rights in the Port of New York. The IBL did not go quietly, and forced a third representational election in 1956, in which it was again defeated. By the time an AFL–CIO committee recommended re-admittance for

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1104-627: A union as a condition of employment. In February 2015, Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner filed suit, claiming that fair-share agreements are unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech. In March 2015, three government workers from Illinois represented by attorneys from the Illinois-based Liberty Justice Center and Virginia-based National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation took legal action to intervene in

1196-581: A year is projected. The Port Inland Distribution Network involves new or expanded transportation systems for redistribution by barge and rail for the shipped goods and containers that are delivered at area ports in an effort to curtail the use of trucks and their burden on the environment, traffic, and highway systems. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), are involved in initiatives to review and develop this network. To instantiate PIDN,

1288-483: A year. The authority's board authorized $ 118.1 million for the project. The National Docks Secondary rail line is being upgraded in anticipation of expanded volumes. In September 2014, the PANYNJ announced a $ 356 million capital project to upgrade and expand the facility, including Roll-on/roll-off operations. Expected to be operational about July 2016, an initial capacity of at least 125,000 cargo container lifts

1380-621: Is a provincial jurisdiction in Canada, the laws vary from province to province. However, there is some common ground. Despite opposition from open shop contractors, in Ontario, the Liberal government recently reinstituted the card-based certification system that was in place for most of the post-World War II period. Card-based certification was reinstated only for the construction industry. It allows workers to certify an exclusive bargaining agent on

1472-550: Is about 17 feet (5 m), but it was deepened over the years, to a controlling depth of about 24 feet (7 m) in 1880. By 1891, the Main Ship Channel was minimally 30 feet (9 m) deep. Following the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 over $ 1.2 million of initial funding was appropriated for the dredging of 40 ft (12.2 m)-deep channels at Bay Ridge , Red Hook , and Sandy Hook . In 1914, Ambrose Channel became

1564-599: Is also used similarly in Canada , mostly in reference to construction contractors that have at least a partially non-union workforce. Canadians enjoy the freedom to associate, guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, inherently including the right not to associate. In various Canadian provinces , certain 'open shop' organizations have formed. Many of these organizations claim that small contractors are not adequately protected by current labour legislation. As labour law

1656-405: Is responsible for bulkhead and channel maintenance. The United States Coast Guard deals with issues such as floatable debris , spills, vessel rescues, and counter-terrorism. Both states, and some municipal governments (New York City, in particular), maintain maritime police units . The United States Park Police monitors federal properties. The National Park Service oversees some of

1748-402: Is the requirement for union membership. There are a variety of opinions regarding the benefits and negatives of open shops. In the United States, the introduction of 'right to work' laws has been linked with lower overall benefits but higher economic growth by some proponents. Such conclusions are debatable, however, as employment, investment, and income in traditionally unionized sectors of

1840-630: The Bayonne Bridge has been raised from 155 feet (47.2 m) to 215 feet (65.5 m). The Sandy Hook Pilots are licensed maritime pilots that go aboard oceangoing vessels, passenger liners , freighters , and tankers and are responsible for the navigation of larger ships through port district. The estuary was originally the territory of the Lenape , a seasonally migrational people who would relocate summer encampments along its shore and use its waterways for transport and fishing. Many of

1932-642: The Christian Labour Association of Canada or CLAC , a union with non-traditional rules of membership, are members of the association. CLAC's roots trace to the Christian labour movement in the Netherlands. Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31 , US (2018) is a US labor law case, concerning whether governments violate the First Amendment when they require their employees to pay fees to

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2024-785: The Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CRCX) on the Chemical Coast Secondary connect to the East Coast rail freight network carriers Norfolk Southern (NS), CSX Transportation (CSX), and Canadian Pacific (CP). The network is partially financed by a surcharge on all containers passing through the port by train or truck. While most consumer goods are transported in containers , other commodities such as petroleum and scrap metal are handled at facilities for marine transfer operations , bulk cargo , and break bulk cargo throughout

2116-510: The East Coast it became the busiest port by maritime cargo volume in the United States in 2022 and is a major economic engine for the region. The region's airports make the port the nation's top gateway for international flights and its busiest center for overall passenger and air freight flights. There are two foreign-trade zones (FTZ) within the port. Encompassing an area within an approximate 25-mile (40 km) radius of

2208-531: The Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne , indicating that additional container port facilities would be created. The agency is expected to develop a terminal capable of handling the larger container ships to be in service once the new, wider Panama Canal opens in 2014, some of which would not have passed under the original Bayonne Bridge at the Kill van Kull . A project to raise to the roadway of

2300-731: The New York Tunnel Extension under the Hudson Palisades , Hudson River , Manhattan , and East River due to electrified lines and lack of ventilation . Overland travel crosses the Hudson River 140 miles (225 km) to the north using a right of way known as the Selkirk hurdle . The Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel is a proposed rail tunnel under the Upper Bay . The western portal would be located at

2392-725: The Passaic River and Hackensack River , and the northern entrance of Arthur Kill. The Gowanus Canal and Buttermilk Channel are entered from the east. The East River is a broad strait that travels north to Newtown Creek and the Harlem River , turning east at Hell Gate before opening to Long Island Sound , which provides an outlet to the open sea. The port consists of a complex of approximately 240 miles (386 km) of shipping channels , as well as anchorages and port facilities. Most vessels require pilotage , and larger vessels require tugboat assistance for

2484-576: The Port of Los Angeles reclaiming its position as the nation's busiest. ExpressRail is the rail network supporting intermodal freight transport at the major container terminals of the port. The development of dockside trackage and railyards for transloading has been overseen by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey which works in partnership other public and private stakeholders . Various switching and terminal railroads , including

2576-556: The Teamsters , and the International Longshoremen's Association assist and represent some of the port's mariners and dockworkers . The airports in the Port of New York and New Jersey combine to create the largest airport system in the United States, the second in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the first in the world in terms of total flight operations. JFK air freight cargo operations make it

2668-510: The United States Maritime Alliance , the ILA demanded a total ban on automation of cranes, gates and containers at 36 U.S. ports. The ILA threatened to strike that month unless they would receive wage hikes and a ban on automation at U.S. ports. ILA members were offered a nearly 50% wage hike, triple employer contributions to pension plans, and better health care options while retaining current rules on automation, but

2760-1093: The Upper Bay between the Greenville Yard in Jersey City and the 65th Street Yard and the Bush Terminal Yard in Brooklyn . At the Greenville end, CSX Transportation operates through Conrail's North Jersey Shared Assets Area along the National Docks Secondary . At Brooklyn , end connections are made to the New York and Atlantic Railway 's Bay Ridge Branch and the South Brooklyn Railway . The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) crossing takes approximately 45 minutes. The equivalent truck trip would be 35 to 50 miles (80 km) long. Freight rail has never used

2852-569: The prototype , opened in 1962. Expanded intermodal freight transport systems and the Interstate Highway System effected a shift to new terminals at Newark Bay . Since the 1980s, sections of waterfront in the traditional harbor have been being redeveloped to include public access to the water's edge, with the creation of linear park greenways such as Hudson River Park , Hudson River Waterfront Walkway , and Brooklyn Bridge Park . The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt ,

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2944-575: The tidal salt marshes supported vast oyster banks that remained a major source of food for the region until the end of the 19th century, by which time contamination and landfilling had obliterated most of them. The first recorded European visit was that of Giovanni da Verrazzano , who anchored in The Narrows in 1524. For the next hundred years, the region was visited sporadically by ships on fishing trips and slave raids . European colonization began after Henry Hudson 's 1609 exploration of

3036-525: The vehicular crossings and the rapid transit system between New York and New Jersey , several of the region's airports, and other transportation and real estate development projects. The Port Authority maintains its own police force , as does the Waterfront Commission , created in 1953 to investigate, prosecute, and prevent criminal activity. The United States Army Corps of Engineers , which has been involved in harbor maintenance since about 1826, when Congress passed an omnibus rivers and harbors act,

3128-601: The 1980s that the union's boycott could not be enjoined under the Norris-LaGuardia Act , but that it was an unlawful secondary boycott that could be outlawed on that basis under the Taft-Hartley Act . Port of New York and New Jersey The Port of New York and New Jersey is the port district of the New York-Newark metropolitan area , encompassing the region within approximately

3220-499: The 20th century, had a unique impact on the legacy of the Longshoremen's Union. Unlike the Port of New York or Boston which were dominated by Irish and German immigrants, Baltimore's stevedores and longshoremen were overwhelmingly Polish. In the 1930s about eighty percent of the Baltimore's longshoremen were Polish or of Polish descent. The port of Baltimore had an international reputation of fast cargo handling credited to

3312-472: The Corsi Report first addressed the voting procedures initially at question—which turned out to be flawed, but not fraudulent—and then went on to focus on irregularities in the administration of several New York locals. The Corsi Report captured the attention of the public. It was grist for the press, as well as that of Governor Thomas E. Dewey , who ordered his New York State Crime Commission to conduct

3404-658: The East Coast, the West Coast and the Gulf Coast in 1905. From the outset, Keefe faced significant challenges, most notably the outright hostility to unions of Chicago 's influential industrialists and the traditional anti-union leanings of longshore recruits from small Midwestern towns. Nevertheless, Keefe successfully expanded membership in the newborn union to include large numbers of dockworkers. In 1892, delegates from eleven ports convened in Detroit where they adopted

3496-413: The Great Lakes. By 1905, membership had doubled to 100,000, half of which were scattered throughout the rest of the country. ILA leaders focused on eliminating independent stevedoring firms and securing closed shop contracts. Keefe bargained with employers, guaranteeing uninterrupted work in return for badly needed improvements in working conditions and wage increases. Daniel Keefe retired as President of

3588-585: The Greenville Yard, while the eastern portal is undetermined and a source of controversy. In May 2010, the Port Authority announced that it would purchase the Greenville Yard and build a new barge-to-rail facility there, as well as improve the existing railcar float system. The barge-to-rail facility is expected to handle an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 containers of solid waste per year from New York City, eliminating up to 360,000 trash truck trips

3680-686: The IBL and longshoremen along the coast refused to handle diverted cargo. Dewey's anti-ILA entourage responded to the shift with a series of legal actions. Then, the NLRB officially set aside the results of the December elections and called for a new vote. The final blow, however, was the NLRB's announcement that the ILA would be banned from future elections unless it ended the work stoppage "forthwith". Bradley had no choice but to send his men back to work. The ILA won

3772-416: The ILA in 1908, succeeded by another Great Lakes tugboat man, T.V. O'Connor. O'Connor's presidency spanned twelve of the ILA's most intriguing and influential years. In 1909, a bitter three-year strike on the Great Lakes pitted the employers' Lake Carriers' Association against every maritime union except the ILA, whose locals wisely voted against participation because it was clear to them from the beginning that

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3864-538: The ILA in August 1959, the IBL was active only in the Great Lakes. In October, the IBL officially dissolved itself and IBL president Larry Long became president of ILA's Great Lakes District. Teddy Gleason was unanimously elected president at the ILA International Convention in 1963. He had always been respected, and the value of his efforts as General Organizer during the troubles of the 1950s

3956-651: The ILA rejected the offer and began a strike in October. According to Politico, the strike was primarily the decision of ILA head Harold Daggett , who had been known as a critic of the Joe Biden administration and who said the strike would "cripple" the economy prior to the 2024 presidential election. Daggett criticized a labor agreement that the ILWU, the main longshoreman's union on the West Coast, achieved in 2023 with

4048-449: The ILA. The commission said the ILA "still exerts control over hiring in the port, that waterfront employers have been forced to hire those that the ILA wants hired, and that the prime positions on the waterfront are given to those individuals with connections to the mainly all-white union leadership." In 2024, CBS News reported that about a third of ILA dockworkers made $ 200,000 or more a year. In September 2024, in their negotiations with

4140-692: The IWW remained a force after the prosecution and conviction of many of its leaders in 1919 largely destroyed the organization. The ILA survived, even after an open shop campaign on the West Coast and a failed strike in New York City in 1919 left it much weakened. Joseph Ryan was elected International president in 1927. During the Great Depression, masses of unemployed workers flooded the market with cheap labor and company unions flourished. Then, encouraged by passage of New Deal legislation limiting

4232-499: The NLRB examiner effectively overturned the December elections. This proved to be the last straw, for less than a week later, Bradley made the ILA strike official. Other unions and workers gave their complete support to the ILA, including a major Teamsters local, which indicated Beck's opposition to the ILA strikers was not shared throughout the rest of the Teamsters. The balance of power began to shift as Gleason gained ground against

4324-622: The National Longshoremen's Association of the United States, in 1892. It joined the American Federation of Labor in 1895 and renamed itself the International Longshoremen's Association several years later, when it admitted Canadian longshoremen to membership. Organized and led by an Irish tugboat worker named Daniel Keefe , the organization had as many as 100,000 members on the Great Lakes,

4416-410: The PANYNJ signed an agreement November 29, 2003 with the Port of Albany to provide twice weekly barge service. By 2014, the service had been discontinued. Open shop An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union ( closed shop ) as a condition of hiring or continued employment. The major difference between an open and closed shop

4508-705: The Statue of Liberty National Monument, the port district comprises all or part of seventeen counties in the region. The nine that are completely within the district are Hudson , Bergen , Essex , Union (in New Jersey), and the five boroughs of New York City, which are coterminous with the counties of New York , Bronx , Kings , Queens , and Richmond . Abutting sections of Passaic , Middlesex , Monmouth , Morris , and Somerset in New Jersey, and Nassau , Westchester , and Rockland in New York are also within

4600-469: The Waterfront would later popularize this viewpoint. At the same time, increasing unrest on the New York waterfront caused by internal conflicts in the ILA resulted in a 25-day work stoppage that halted only when New York State Industrial Commissioner Edward Corsi appointed a board of inquiry to investigate the October 1951 agreement in question. Extending the investigation beyond its original mandate,

4692-431: The basis of membership, sometimes known as "majority sign-up". Some observers claim that this system creates a risk of employees being misled by business agents. Others assert that it overcomes the natural advantage that employers in opposition to unionization have over their employees. Some of these associations permit construction contractors that are unionized to join. Several companies whose employees are represented by

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4784-571: The bridge within the existing arch was completed in May, 2019. The terminal's combined volume makes it the largest on the East Coast , the third busiest in the United States , Handling a cargo volume in year 2023 of over 7.8 million TEUs , benefitting post-Panamax from the expansion of the Panama Canal . As of 2023, the terminals experienced a more severe reduction in cargo volume compared to California seaports, resulting in

4876-527: The busiest in the US. FedEx Express , the world's busiest cargo airline , uses Newark Liberty International Airport as its regional hub. There are four container terminals in the port: Terminals are leased to different port operators , such as A. P. Moller-Maersk Group , American Stevedoring, NYCT, and Global Marine Terminal. In June 2010, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed to purchase from Bayonne 128 acres (0.52 km ) of land at

4968-498: The by-laws of the Longshoremen's Chicago local and the name National Longshoremen's Association of The United States. By 1895, the name was changed to International Longshoremen's Association to reflect the growing numbers of Canadian members. Shortly thereafter, the ILA affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL). As the start of the 20th century loomed, the ILA had approximately 50,000 members, almost all on

5060-571: The case. In May 2015, Rauner was dropped from the case, after a federal judge ruled that the governor did not have standing to bring such a suit, but the case proceeded under a new name, Janus v. AFSCME. The case is named after Mark Janus , an Illinois child support specialist covered by a collective bargaining agreement . Janus claimed that he should not need to pay fees to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees because doing so constitutes paying for political speech with which Janus disagrees. This became permissible after

5152-489: The channel to nearly 100 feet (30 m), was begun in April 2012. The Army Corps has recommended that most channels in the port be maintained at 50 feet deep. Dredging of the canals to 50 feet was completed in August 2016. The channels also include bridges that limit the heights of vessels that can use the harbor. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge has a clearance of 228 feet (69.5 m) at mean high water. The Brooklyn Bridge has 135 feet (41.1 m) of clearance, while

5244-503: The construction of major highways such as the Belt Parkway , East River Drive , and Major Deegan Expressway along parts of the shoreline. After the end of World War I , the 1919 New York City Harbor Strike shut down the port for weeks. The era of the longshoreman , captured in the classic film On the Waterfront , faded by the 1970s as much of the waterfront became obsolete due to changing transportation patterns. The nation's first facility for container shipping , which became

5336-433: The contract focused on preserving jobs. Gleason-era initiatives such as the Guaranteed Annual Income (GAI) program, the Job Security Program (JSP). Under Gleason, the ILA once again became a strong and powerful force in the world of labor. Some employers outside New York who faced the loss of business as a result of the agreement challenged the "Rules on Containers" that were negotiated and agreed to by management and labor as

5428-430: The district. New York Harbor is one of the world's largest natural harbors . The Atlantic Ocean is to the southeast of the port. The sea at the entrance to the port is called the New York Bight ; it lies between the peninsulas of Sandy Hook and Rockaway . In Lower New York Bay and its western arm, Raritan Bay , vessels orient themselves for passage to the west into Arthur Kill or Raritan River or to

5520-414: The economy cannot be correlated to the passage of such laws. Open shop means a factory, office, or other business establishment in which a union, chosen by a majority of the employees, acts as representative of all the employees in making agreements with the employer, but union membership is not a condition of being hired. Unions have argued against the open shop adopted by United States employers in

5612-427: The few members who had in fact been proven corrupt or criminal. In August 1953, the ILA was suspended from the American Federation of Labor (AFL), a devastating blow. The AFL created the International Brotherhood of Longshoremen (IBL-AFL) to replace the besmirched ILA and scheduled representational elections. Under the relentless pressure of the investigations and denunciations, Ryan resigned. Captain William V. Bradley

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5704-436: The first decade of the twentieth century, seeing it as an attempt to drive unions out of industries. For example, construction craft unions have always relied on controlling the supply of labor in particular trades and geographical areas as a means of maintaining union standards and establishing collective bargaining relations with the employers in that field. In order to do that, unions argued, construction unions—and to

5796-420: The harbor for the duration of American Revolutionary War , and prison ships housed thousands at Wallabout Bay . In the early 19th century, the Erie Canal (often used for grain ) and Morris Canal (mostly used for anthracite ) gave the port access to the American interior, leading to transshipment operations, manufacturing, and industrialization . The invention of the steam engine led to expansion of

5888-401: The help of the Joe Biden administration, which boosted salaries by 32%. Daggett criticized the agreement for not doing enough to stop automation. The ILA Pacific Coast District was led by the left-leaning Harry Bridges , who rebelled against Ryan's leadership during the 1934 West Coast longshore strike . A network of union activists largely circumvented Ryan during the strike, first organizing

5980-400: The largest ship to call at an East Coast port , passed under the raised Bayonne Bridge in July 2017. Responsibilities within the port are divided among all levels of government, from municipal to federal, as well as public and private agencies. Established in 1921, the bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , in addition to overseeing maritime facilities, is responsible for

6072-409: The left-wing sailors' union, the National Maritime Union , with which Ryan had unfriendly relations. Bridges subsequently took all but three of the ILA's West Coast locals out of the ILA to form the International Longshore and Warehouse Union , which joined the Congress of Industrial Organizations shortly thereafter. Longshoremen obtained work through a shapeup in which bosses chose a workforce on

6164-429: The main entrance to the port, at 40 feet (12 m) deep and 2,000 feet (600 m) wide. During World War II the main channel was dredged to 45 feet (14 m) deep to accommodate larger ships up to Panamax size. In 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a $ 2.1 billion dredging project, deepening harbor channels to 50 feet (15 m) in order to accommodate Post-Panamax container vessels, which can pass through

6256-490: The membership to reject the contract that Ryan had negotiated, then leading a strike over his objections. Bridges and other veterans of the strike replaced Ryan loyalists in union elections up and down the West Coast following the strike. Ryan never trusted Bridges, even though he was forced to make him an International officer in recognition of his de facto power on the West Coast. Ryan fired Bridges in 1936, however, after Bridges launched an East Coast speaking tour in support of

6348-400: The most significant development during Chlopek's term was the institution of the Prohibition Enforcement Law. The ILA faced competition, particularly from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which had a number of members on the West Coast, where many workers moved into longshoring from other centers of IWW strength, such as the lumber and mining industries, and in Philadelphia , where

6440-659: The nation, established in 1937, on the New York side of the port; and FTZ 49, on the New Jersey side. In March 2006, some of the passenger facilities management was to be transferred to Dubai Ports World . There was considerable controversy over security and ownership by a foreign corporation, particularly one of Arab origin, of a U.S. port operation, despite the fact that the operator was British-based P&O Ports . DP World later sold P&O's American operations to American International Group 's asset management division, Global Investment Group, for an undisclosed sum. The Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey ,

6532-415: The north to The Narrows . To the east lies the Rockaway Inlet , which leads to Jamaica Bay . The Narrows connects to the Upper New York Bay at the mouth of the Hudson River , which is sometimes (particularly in navigation) called the North River . Large ships are able to navigate upstream to the Port of Albany-Rensselaer . To the west lies Kill van Kull , the strait leading to Newark Bay , fed by

6624-511: The open shop represents only an employer's refusal to favor union members for employment, is legal. Although the National Labor Relations Act permits construction employers to enter into pre-hire agreements, in which they agree to draw their workforces from a pool of employees dispatched by the union, employers are under no legal compulsion to enter into such agreements. Non-union construction employers have also adopted

6716-453: The opportunity to discriminate against union members in employment and would also lead to a steadfast opposition to collective bargaining of any sort United States labor law outlaws the open shop in its extreme form: it prohibits private sector employers from refusing to hire employees because they are union members just as it prevents discrimination against employees who do not wish to join unions. The open shop in its milder form, in which

6808-438: The phrase "merit shop" to describe their operations. In many connotations, the terms are interchangeable. However, may be used differently by different sides of the open shop issue. The open shop is also the legal norm in those states that have adopted right-to-work laws . In those cases, employers are barred from enforcing union security arrangements and may not fire an employee for failure to pay union dues. The term open shop

6900-437: The port, many along its straits and canals . At some locations, water pollution has led to inclusion on the list of Superfund sites in the United States . At one time, nearly 600,000 railcars were transferred annually by barge between the region's extensive rail facilities. Today, approximately 1,600 cars are "floated" on the remaining car float in the port. The New York New Jersey Rail, LLC transfers freight cars across

6992-534: The process of rebuilding was not without hurdles. After the largely successful 83-day 1934 West Coast longshore strike , Pacific coast longshoremen voted to secede from the ILA and joined the Congress of Industrial Organizations as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union . In the history of the ILA, the port of Baltimore , which was a sixth largest port in the world around the start of

7084-455: The railroads and vast terminals along the western banks of the Hudson River , complemented by an extensive network of ferries and carfloats , with a large cluster along the Harlem River . The era of the ocean liner around the turn of the 20th century led to the creation of berths at North River piers and Hoboken . This coincided with the immigration of millions, processed at Castle Clinton and later at Ellis Island , some staying in

7176-619: The region with the establishment of New Amsterdam , the capital of the Dutch province of New Netherland at the tip of Manhattan . The British colonial era saw a concerted effort to expand the port in the triangular trade between Europe , Africa , and North America with a concentration of wharves along the mouth of the East River . After the Battle of Brooklyn , the British controlled

7268-407: The region's historic sites , nature reserves , and parks . The port is a port of entry . The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regulate international imports and passenger arrivals. The "green lane" program, in which trusted shippers have fewer containers inspected. There are two foreign trade zones in the port: FTZ 1, the first in

7360-619: The region, others boarding barges, ships, and trains to points across the United States . In 1910, the port was the busiest in the world. During the World Wars the waterfront supported shipyards and military installations such as the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and the Brooklyn Navy Yard and played an important role in troop transport as a Port of Embarkation . The mid-century also saw

7452-653: The sandy bottom has been excavated down to rock and now requires blasting. Dredging equipment then picks up the rock and disposes of it. At one point in 2005, there were 70 pieces of dredging equipment working to deepen channels, the largest fleet of dredging equipment anywhere in the world. The channel of the Hudson is the Anchorage Channel and is approximately 50 feet deep in the midpoint of Upper Bay. A project to replace two water mains between Brooklyn and Staten Island, which will eventually allowing for dredging of

7544-1049: The sharper channel turns. The Ambrose leads from the sea to the Upper Bay, where it becomes the Anchorage Channel. Connecting channels are the Bay Ridge, the Red Hook, the Buttermilk, the Claremont, the Port Jersey, the Kill Van Kull, the Newark Bay, the Port Newark, the Elizabeth, and the Arthur Kill. Anchorages are known as Stapleton, Bay Ridge and Gravesend. The natural depth of the harbor

7636-573: The strike was a losing battle. So powerful and well equipped was the Lake Carriers' Association that Lakes shipping ran almost regularly despite the union walk out. In the end, the ILA was almost alone on the Lakes. The 1914 absorption of LUPA into the ILA prompted the creation of the ILA's New York District Council and ignited an intense period of growth for the union both in terms of size and power. The organization of coastwise longshoremen in 1916

7728-416: The system by selecting the most skilled men to lead them. This newly formed gang would usually work for the same company, which would give the priority to the gang. During the times where there was no work within the particular company, the gang would work elsewhere, or even divide to aid other groups in their work, which would speed up the work and would make it more efficient. In an environment as dangerous as

7820-549: The use of injunctions to prevent strikes and picketing (the Norris – La Guardia Act ) and guaranteeing the rights of workers to vote for their own representation (Wagner Act of 1935), the union immediately began reorganizing and reclaiming lost ports. Ryan and the union's regional and local leaders regained much of the lost ground, but often at the cost of diminished centralization. Nonetheless, membership again soared, increasing as much as sixfold in as many years in some districts. But

7912-612: The well-organized gang system that was nearly free of corruption, wildcat strikes and constant work stoppages unlike its other East coast counterparts. In fact, the New York Anti-Crime Commission and the Waterfront Commission of New York looked upon the Baltimore system as the ideal one for all ports. The hiring of longshoremen in Baltimore by the gang system dates back to 1913, when the ILA was first formed. The Polish longshoremen began setting up

8004-635: The widened Panama Canal as well as the Suez Canal . This has been a source of environmental concern along channels connecting the container facilities in Port Newark to the Atlantic. PCBs and other pollutants lay in a blanket just underneath the soil. In June 2009 it was announced that 200,000 cubic yards of dredged PCBs would be "cleaned" and stored en masse at the site of the former Yankee Stadium and at Brooklyn Bridge Park. In many areas

8096-465: Was a significant victory that greatly improved the ILA's position at bargaining tables: shippers no longer had the option of diverting freight from striking ports along the Atlantic. A similar coastwide strike also occurred on the West Coast in 1916. As the ILA grew, power shifted increasingly to the Port of New York, where the branch headquarters for the International were established. There,

8188-546: Was elected to the presidency of the ILA-Independent at the November 1953 convention. To combat the spread of the IBL (International Brotherhood of Longshoremen), the ILA sent Thomas "Teddy" Gleason , ILA General Organizer, from port to port nationwide. Meanwhile, 17,000 longshoremen voted in the 1953 National Labor Relations Board  (NLRB) election to determine representation in the Port of New York. The ILA

8280-441: Was perceived as betraying the ILA by refusing to cross an IBL picket line. News spread and on piers up and down Manhattan, ILA longshoremen refused to touch Teamster deliveries. Gangs of longshoremen walked off the docks in a wildcat strike . An NLRB injunction forbade ILA leaders from striking or disrupting freight transportation. Violence erupted as the IBL, facilitated by the police and Beck's Teamsters, smashed picket lines. Then

8372-455: Was victorious, but immediately, Governor Dewey waged a campaign to overturn the election results. Tension on the New York piers was mounting. ILA loyalists and many other longshoremen were at best suspicious of the IBL, which they viewed as a machine of the Waterfront Commission and a scab union—an organization of workers perceived as having a role in strike breaking. By early March 1954, the storm finally hit when Teamster President Dave Beck

8464-448: Was well known. The delegates who elected Gleason were looking for change, progress, and modernization. Gleason took up this charge and moved the headquarters to its current focused on settling the union's troubled financial affairs. In 1965, Gleason negotiated what was at the time the longest lasting ILA contract in history. It was also the first truly forward-looking contract the union signed. As automation and containerization increased,

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