Harold Daggett, the 78-year-old chief of the International Longshoremen’s Association, isn’t pulling any punches. It’s not his style.

“People are going to sit up and realize how important longshoremen jobs are,” Daggett said Tuesday. “They won’t be able to sell cars. They won’t be able to stock malls. They won’t be able to do anything in this country without my f***ing people. And it’s about time they start realizing it.”