ILWU Watchmen Strike Threat Paralyses Half of LA/Long Beach Ports
250 security workers at America’s busiest container hub could walk out by midnight Friday.
A potential strike by security watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could disrupt operations at half of the terminals in the nation’s largest container hub by midnight Friday. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26 has set the deadline after more than a year of stalled contract negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).
The union represents 250 watchmen, a small fraction of the ILWU workforce at the twin ports. However, these workers are stationed at critical terminals that handle 85% of Long Beach’s cargo and 33% of Los Angeles’s. A walkout would halt security operations, and the PMA expects other ILWU members, including longshore workers and marine clerks, to honor picket lines, potentially stopping vessel loading, container movements, and truck gate operations.
Why the strike threatens port operations: Long Beach
The PMA described the remaining disagreements as “significant.” The previous labor contract expired in July 2026, and workers have been operating under temporary extensions. Federal mediators are assisting the talks, but the latest extension, pushing the deadline from Wednesday to midnight Friday, offers little reassurance to cargo interests.
The San Pedro Bay port complex, which includes Los Angeles and Long Beach, is operating at unprecedented capacity. In September alone, the ports handled a combined 2 million TEU, with the Port of Los Angeles recording its busiest quarter on record from July through September. The surge in imports is driven by two key factors: drought-related disruptions at the Panama Canal and lower tariffs.
“Tariffs are now lower than earlier this year, giving importers more cost certainty and allowing them to replenish inventories faster,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. A strike would disrupt this flow, adding delays to an already strained supply chain ahead of the holiday season.
Record cargo volumes raise stakes
The PMA reiterated its commitment to reaching an agreement. In a statement, the group said negotiations would continue Friday with federal mediation, emphasizing the need to avoid disruption at the nation’s busiest ports. However, if the watchmen strike, the ripple effects could extend beyond security, potentially delaying holiday shipments and worsening supply chain bottlenecks.
The next 48 hours will determine whether the ports avoid a shutdown or face further delays in an already critical shipping season.
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