洛杉矶-长滩港安保人员拟11月1日罢工

About 250 union watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could strike as early as 5 p.m. Pacific time Sunday, Nov. 1, threatening cargo operations at the nation’s busiest container port complex if negotiators fail to reach a new labor agreement.

Members of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26 have authorized a strike, according to the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents employers. The employers group said negotiations are continuing with the assistance of federal mediators.

The potential disruption could extend well beyond the security workforce. PMA said the watchmen represent about 2% of ILWU workers at the two ports, but work at terminals handling roughly 85% of Long Beach’s cargo and 33% of Los Angeles’ cargo. The employer group expects other ILWU members would honor picket lines, potentially halting vessel, yard and gate operations at affected facilities.

The watchmen’s previous agreement expired in July 2025, and employees have continued working under extensions. The latest extension expires Sunday, following more than a year of negotiations that have left the union and employers divided.

PMA said significant differences remain but pledged to keep negotiating.

“The Pacific Maritime Association remains committed to reaching a fair agreement with ILWU Local 26 at the bargaining table, and we will continue to negotiate in good faith through the November 1 deadline and beyond if necessary,” the association said in an email to FreightWaves.

Employers said their offer includes wage increases and pension improvements. The local has not detailed its demands. The PMA said full-time watchmen currently earn an average of more than $170,000 annually, plus fully employer-paid health care and pension benefits.

“The Port of Los Angeles encourages all parties to continue negotiating in good faith toward a mutually acceptable resolution,” the Port of Los Angeles said in an email to FreightWaves. “We recognize the importance of reaching an agreement that serves the interests of the parties involved while ensuring the continued movement of cargo through our port. We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached without any disruption to operations.”

The contract of Local 26 members is separate from the coastwide agreement covering ILWU longshore workers and marine clerks, which runs through 2028.

“We are closely monitoring the negotiations between ILWU Local 26 and the Pacific Maritime Association, and we remain hopeful both sides will reach an agreement soon,” Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba said in an email to FreightWavces. “While the affected watchmen provide security within individual terminals, port-wide security provided by the Harbor Patrol and the Long Beach Police Department continues uninterrupted during negotiations. Although the Port of Long Beach is not a party to the negotiations, we want to assure our customers that we remain committed to moving cargo through our port safely and reliably.”

The strike threat comes as the LA–Long Beach complex is already contending with a backlog of containers awaiting inland rail transportation. Terminal congestion and difficulties positioning enough rail equipment in Southern California have contributed to delays, raising concerns about the movement of holiday merchandise toward the eastern United States.

This article was update Oct. 28 to add a comment from the Port of Los Angeles.
This article was updated Oct. 29 to add comments from the Port of Long Beach.

Why it matters: A strike by just 250 watchmen could become a much larger cargo shutdown if other union dockworkers honor the local’s picket lines.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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