Strike at LA-Long Beach ports delayed as negotiations continue
Add Fresh Fruit Portal to GoogleImporters can take a short breath of relief as a port strike at LA-Long Beach ports was averted until at least Wednesday, November 4th. Called by a small group of around 250 watchmen from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26, the stoppage was set to begin on October 30th as the workers’ contracts expired.
However, in a social media post, the party’s counterpart, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), announced that talks would continue until after Midterm election day on Wednesday at 5 pm PST.
“Negotiations will continue with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service,” the organization said on its X account. “PMA remains committed to reaching a fair agreement at the bargaining table that avoids disruption at the nation’s two busiest ports.”
A strike that could halt all operations at LA-Long Beach ports
Even if the ILWU Local 26 accounts for only about two percent of the unionized workforce at the LA-Long Beach port complex, PMA says it handles over half of the combined cargo moving through the points of entry. This is roughly 85 percent of goods in the Port of Long Beach and 33 percent of containers at the Port of Los Angeles.
Image via Shutterstock
Moreover, the rest of the ILWU is expected to stand in solidarity with the watchmen, meaning operations at affected terminals would inevitably halt until the matter is resolved.
LA-Long Beach port workers have not outlined their demands, but have been negotiating to renew their contracts since July 2025. In the meantime, they’ve operated under repeated extensions.
According to reports from Trains.com, the West Coast ports are already contending with a backlog of containers awaiting inland rail transportation.
“More than 35,000 containers were awaiting trains as of Monday, October 26th,” the specialized outlet reported on October 29th. “Terminal congestion and difficulties positioning enough rail equipment in Southern California have contributed to delays, raising concerns about the movement of holiday merchandise.”
Image via Shutterstock
The LA-Long Beach seaport complex is one of the busiest container port complexes in the US, accounting for 31 percent of all container traffic moving through the country’s seaports. According to Reuters, the maritime points of entry each reported record cargo volumes for September.
*All images via Shutterstock.
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