Chapter Thirteen

The Second Boston Tea Party

“Where lies the final harbor?"

—Herman Melville in Moby Dick

In December of 1979, in an act of unprovoked aggression, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. On January 9, 1980, in protest of the Soviet invasion, Thomas “Teddy” Gleason, president of the Interna- tional Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) ordered its members to stop handling cargoes arriving from or destined for the Soviet Union. The order was effective on grain, food and other cargo. The ILA union controlled all East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, from New England to Texas. Rank and file union members supported the boy- cott. Gleason announced that the decision was made necessary by the demands of...

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