History of The ILA

Jacksonville, Florida

"Second to none, getting the Job done!"

The challenges of the next decade supercede those of any similar span of time in the history of ILA Local 1408. Our membership looks to the future with hope. We seek to create more jobs, provide better educational opportunities and improve benefits.  Since 1995, our annual college scholarship program has awarded over $260, 000.00 to deserving young students in the greater Jacksonville area.   Ultimately, our ILA desires continued growth within and for the Jacksonville economy. By the year 2005, the local maritime industry will have capacity to receive nearly $3 billion back into our city’s economy.   The growth of Local 1408 as well as that of Jacksonville depends upon a thriving Port. Research supports our contention that the Jacksonville Port has all the necessary components to become the Port-of-Call of the Southeastern Region.

Our Leadership Team and executive officers are –  George W. Spencer, President; Vincent Cameron, Vice President; Romia Johnson, Financial Secretary/Treasurer; Ernest Smith, Jr., Business Agent. Fred Wakefield, Maintenance Field Representative and Executive member. Other Executive Board members are William Merriman Recording Secretary, Nathaniel Gardner, Bernard Berry, Curtis Watson, Michael Walker.

    ILA Local 1408

  98% of longshore earnings are put into the local Jacksonville economy.

The ILA union handles general longshore work, specifically all areas of loading and unloading cargo on and off ships, including the operation of all equipment.   

Maintenance  -  We supply all mechanics in maintenance operation, including refrigeration mechanics, welders, tractor-trailer mechanics, etc.

Warehouse  -  We supply labor for warehousing, including receiving and shipping out cargo.

  Deep-Sea  -   Jacksonville is the number one port in the United States for automobile import, in terms of volume. We supply the skilled labor which professionally unload automobile ships that call at the Port of Jacksonville. That total last year exceeded well over 550, 000 cars. We are the third leading port in the South handling containerized cargo. Our comprehensive longshore work force makes the Jacksonville Port a complete entity offering full service across the spectrum.   We have won the “Safety Award” for having the best damage prevention record for the last three-(3) consecutive years, six of the past ten years.   End users return over and over again to any port facility offering a dependable labor force of efficient, productive and safety conscious workers.   Our Labor Force generates almost 1,000,000 man-hours per year.   The more work we receive, the more money we make, the more goods and services we can purchase from Jacksonville business community.

Our Labor Income for 1998 was over 40 million dollars.

The earnings that we as longshoremen pour into the Jacksonville economy increases job opportunities across the board for all Jaxsonvillians.

We are presently the THIRD leading port in the Southeast United States, and we are aggressively working to be number ONE.

The continuation and expansion of Jacksonville’s economic growth and quality of life making it available to all Jaxsonvillians.