Local 333 was placed under trusteeship

After Takeover of Union Local, a Rebellion in the Tugboat Ranks

By TOM ROBBINS 12:22 AM ET

Local 333 was placed under trusteeship, and some members say it was a political power play.

Joe Dady has been plying the waters of New York Harbor since 1976, when he followed his father and five older brothers into the tugboat trade. He started as a deckhand, moved up to mate, and became a captain — a “throttle jockey” in tug lingo — in 1992. He knows the tides, the currents, the eddies and the inlets the way a veteran cabby knows the back streets to La Guardia Airport. A major part of his seaman’s creed, Mr. Dady said, stemmed from his faith in his union — Local 333 of the United Marine Division, International Longshoremen’s Association — to steer him and his mates safely.

After Takeover of Union Local, a Rebellion in the Tugboat Ranks