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The
roots of the ILA
Origin of the term
"Longshoreman"
Mercantilist Exploitation
The roots of the
International Longshoremen's Association
lie deep in the history of colonial America
when the arrival of each new ship bearing
goods from the Old World was greeted with
cries for "Men 'long shore!" The
longshoremen who rushed up to the ships were
colonists, normally engaged in any number of
full-time occupations. In the first hard
years of life in this country, they left
their occupations freely to unload the
anxiously awaited, sometimes desperately needed,
supplies without pay. As the new land began
to develop a fledgling economy, and the
ships were too many to count, the men were
drawn to the shores by the extra money they
could earn stevedoring precious cargo on and
off the ships.
As
the nation matured, European imperialism
gave birth to exploitative mercantilist
trade practices. Land was no longer cheap or
easy to be get, and many new immigrants
congregated in the cities, hoping to find
work amid the bustle, especially along the
coast, where the bulk of the growing
country's business was still being done.
The number of professional longshoremen grew
by thousands.
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