Port employers and the union representing watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach have extended their contract to November 20, the third extension since the original November 1 strike deadline.
The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) said November 7 that more talks have been scheduled with ILWU Local 26, whose members check truck and staff entry at terminal gates, provide terminal security, and guard high-value cargo on the docks. The deadline was first pushed from November 1 to 5 p.m. November 4, then just over a day forward to midnight November 6, before this longer extension. Both sides are negotiating with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Local 26 has not commented publicly. The watchmen’s previous contract expired in July 2025, and members authorized a strike after more than a year of bargaining.
The watchmen make up only about 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports, but PMA says the terminals where they work handle about 85% of Long Beach’s cargo and 33% of Los Angeles’. PMA has warned that longshore workers and marine clerks, who have separate contracts, are expected to honor any Local 26 picket line, which could halt vessel, yard, and gate operations. The dispute is separate from the coastwide ILWU agreement covering about 22,000 workers at 29 West Coast ports, which runs through 2028. Both ports set all-time cargo records in September.
IAM Member Impact: The new deadline falls the week before Thanksgiving in the United States, and, as a contingency, members should plan pickups and deliveries at the affected terminals ahead of November 20 where possible. A longer extension suggests talks are progressing, but there’s still no deal.
Source: Insurance Journal