International Longshoremen’s Association President Harold Daggett says the annual checks ILA members receive from carrier-paid container royalties are “wage supplements,” not bonuses.
No matter what they’re called, royalties represent a large part of ILA members’ compensation and a big expense for carriers.
Royalties were established in 1960 to cushion ILA members from the loss of jobs to containerization. Carriers paid $211 million into the funds last year. Most of the money was used to provide ILA members with year-end checks that averaged $15,500 last year.
ILA members’ royalty checks vary by port. They are calculated on a formula reflecting each port’s growth in...
