07/22/2026
ILA SOUTH ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST DISTRICT 93RD CONVENTION TO TAKE PLACE JULY 27-30, 2026 IN GALVESTON, TX
THE ILA SOUTH ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST DISTRICT
ESTABLISHED 1910
The South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District (SAGCD) is directly linked to the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which was established in 1892 by delegates from eleven (11) ports.
Originally organized in Detroit, where they adopted the by-laws of the longshoremen’s Chicago local, the ILA use to be called the “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).
In 1910, ILA chartered the South Atlantic Gulf Coast District (SAGCD) to expand and communicate its mission in every port of the South and Gulf Coast.
Today’s SAGCD is a modern union with 30,000 members working in 38 ports along the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast, including all Department of Defense strategic seaports in the region.
During every war in the 20th and 21st Century in which the United States Department of Defense deployed service members and equipment overseas in support of national security interests, Longshoremen were at the forefront of ensuring they departed America safely. It was Longshoremen who loaded tanks, helicopters, artillery howitzers, ammunition, trucks, and equipment on troop carrier and logistics ships headed for Europe and Asia. During our nation’s nearly two-decade fight in the aftermath of the attacks on our homeland on September 11, 2001, Longshoremen continued to support deployments by sea of equipment headed to the Persian Gulf, the Coast of Africa, and Afghanistan. Shaped by this rich history, Longshoremen stand determined, agile, and ready to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
ILA South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District Int'l Longshoremen's
