Strike Threat Looms at Eight Los Angeles–Long Beach Port Terminals

Approximately 250 union port watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could strike as early as 5 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, November 1 — a walkout that could halt cargo operations at terminals handling more than half of the nation's busiest container port complex.

Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26 have authorized a strike, according to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents port employers. The latest extension of the watchmen's labor agreement expires Sunday, following more than a year of negotiations. The previous agreement expired in July 2025, and talks are continuing with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Small workforce, outsized impact. Although the watchmen represent only about 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports, they work at terminals handling roughly 85% of Long Beach's cargo and 33% of Los Angeles' cargo. According to PMA, other ILWU members are not expected to cross Local 26 picket lines — meaning vessel, yard, and gate operations at affected terminals could halt entirely.

PMA said it remains committed to reaching a fair agreement and will continue to negotiate in good faith through the November 1 deadline and beyond if necessary. Employers said their offer includes wage increases and pension improvements; PMA noted that full-time watchmen currently earn an average of more than $170,000 annually plus fully employer-paid health care and pension benefits. The Local 26 contract is separate from the coastwide agreement covering ILWU longshore workers and marine clerks, which runs through 2028.

The strike threat comes at a difficult time: the LA–Long Beach complex is already managing a backlog of containers awaiting inland rail transportation, and any gate or yard shutdown could add delays to holiday-season cargo moving inland.

Sources: gCaptain · FreightWaves