Striking port union president furious that his luxury NJ estate was exposed in media

💲 The NY Post posted pictures of ILA president Harold Daggett's $3 million mansion

💲 He said his family and union leadership have received death threats

💲 Negotiations have stopped between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance

International Longshoreman's Association President Harold J. Daggett said he and other members of the union’s leadership have received death threats after the New York Post reported about his 7,136 square-foot mansion.

As a strike by 45,000 ILA members closed down 36 ports along the East and Gulf coasts, the tabloid posted pictures taken by a drone on its website showing the 10-acre property with a Bentley parked in front of a five-vehicle garage. The property includes a backyard patio, massive pool and a pool house.  A brick pizza oven and sauna are also in the pool area.

Dagget's attorney Michael Critchley in a statement by the union called the publication of the pictures as "reckless" and places his family at "great risk of personal harm."

“Mr. Daggett has already received several threats to his life. The N.Y. Post must immediately remove these pictures from all versions of the article and refrain from any further publications of pictures of Mr. Daggett’s home," read the statement.

The statement said Daggett is “sickened “ by attempts to “attack his professional accomplishments as a union leader, and destroy the life he has built for him and his family in over many decades of toil and hard work.” Negotiations have come to a halt, according to the United States Maritime Alliance.

The union on its website and social media on Wednesday did not offer an update on negotiations.

ALSO READ: Dock workers at ports from Maine to Texas go on strike

Automation at issue

The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) said it is focused on ratifying a new contract and is committed to negotiating the strike's "critical issues" which include wages and automation. It's last offer before the strike was a nearly 50% wage increase and retains the current language around automation and semi-automation.

"We cannot agree to preconditions to return to bargaining – but we remain committed to bargaining in good faith to address the ILA’s demands and USMX’s concerns," USMX said in a statement.

Daggett said the union is now demanding a $5 an-hour increase in wages for each of the six years of a new ILA-USMX master contract.

“Plus, we want absolute airtight language that there will be no automation or semi-automation, and we are demanding all container royalty monies go to the ILA," Daggett said.

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