LA-Long Beach watchmen deadline passes with no deal announced

The 5pm deadline for 250 terminal watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach passed with no deal or walkout announced as of 8pm Pacific. Federal mediation continues.

By Procupy News DeskPublished 5 Nov 2026, 8:36 AM IST3 min readSource: The Loadstar

In 60 words

A contract extension covering about 250 terminal watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach expired at 5pm Pacific time on Wednesday, 4 November. Employers and the union had not publicly confirmed a walkout or a new agreement. Talks continue with federal mediators. The watchmen's terminals handle most Long Beach cargo, and the ports are already congested.

Key points

The contract extension for about 250 watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach expired at 5pm Pacific time on 4 November¹.
The Pacific Maritime Association said talks would continue with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service¹.
The watchmen's terminals handle about 85% of Long Beach cargo and 33% of Los Angeles cargo, and other ILWU members were expected to honour picket lines¹.
Importers already face rail backlogs: about 35,700 containers were waiting for rail on 26 October, including about 10,500 at terminals for nine days or longer².

The contract extension for about 250 terminal watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach expired at 5pm Pacific time on Wednesday, 4 November¹.

The deadline had already been pushed back once, from 1 November, when the two sides signed the extension^1, 3. ILWU Local 26 members had authorised a strike before that¹. Their previous contract expired in July 2025, and they have worked under extensions since then¹.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which bargains for the terminal employers, said negotiations would continue with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)¹. As of 8pm Pacific time on 4 November, neither the PMA, Local 26 nor either port had published a statement announcing a walkout or a new agreement.

What is still unknown

Three questions remained open: whether watchmen walked out, whether gates, yard work and vessel operations continued, and whether another extension was signed¹. FreightWaves reported on Wednesday, before the deadline, that negotiations were still under way⁴.

Small union, wide reach

The PMA says watchmen make up only 2% of ILWU workers at the two ports¹. But they are posted at terminals that handle roughly 85% of Long Beach cargo and 33% of Los Angeles cargo¹. A stoppage could bring operations to a halt at eight terminals in the port complex¹. The PMA says Local 26 provides security at six container terminals at the two ports³.

The bigger risk is sympathy action. The PMA expects other ILWU members to honour picket lines, which could stop vessel, yard and gate work at the affected facilities¹. On 27 October the employer group warned that dockworkers and marine clerks were expected to stand with the watchmen, even though those groups have separate contracts and are not party to the dispute³.

The twin ports handled record volumes last month and together move about a third of US seaborne containerised goods³. In September they averaged 68,000 teu a day, according to figures cited by analyst Lars Jensen².

Congestion is already here

Existing congestion is why even a short stoppage could spread quickly. About 35,700 containers were waiting for rail on Monday 26 October, including about 10,500 that had sat at terminals for nine days or longer, according to CargoTrans².

Road capacity is about to tighten as well. The Vincent Thomas Bridge is due to close on 7 November for about 16 months, which could lengthen truck journeys through the complex². Caltrans will shut the bridge to replace its deck and expects it to reopen in March 2028⁵.

Rates are riding on it

Container rates from Asia remain high. East coast rates fell 6% in a week to about $9,900 per FEU, while west coast rates held near $8,300 per FEU, FreightWaves reported, citing Freightos⁴. Carriers are seeking increases of $2,000 to $3,000 per FEU for November, though forwarders doubt they will stick as space opens up⁴. Trans-Pacific prices remain about $5,500 per FEU above their pre-peak levels⁴.

Forwarders are not yet pushing customers to reroute. Dimerco advised clients to speed up container pick-up and delivery where possible and does not advocate alternative routings now, said Ted Chen, its ocean freight and trade compliance director⁶. AIT Worldwide Logistics said it has seen no significant shift in routing away from Los Angeles and Long Beach⁶. Woodland Group warned customers that disruption could reach vessel handling, gates and inland transport, depending on which terminals are affected and how long any action lasts⁶.

Local 26's dispute is separate from the coastwide agreement reached in 2023 between 29 West Coast ports and 22,000 workers, which runs to 2028¹. Carriers are also entering the annual round of trans-Pacific contract tendering, when spot prices help shape terms⁴.

What this means for procurement teams

Buyers with cargo on the water towards Los Angeles and Long Beach face a week of uncertainty rather than a confirmed stoppage. The terminals in question handle most Long Beach cargo, and other ILWU members are expected to respect picket lines, so an action lasting more than a shift would hit vessel, yard and gate work together¹. Rail is already the weak link: about 35,700 containers were waiting for trains on 26 October².

Watch demurrage and detention exposure first. Boxes that cannot be collected or returned keep the clock running, and the bridge closure from 7 November could lengthen drayage trips through the complex². On freight budgets, west coast rates near $8,300 per FEU leave little room if carriers hold their November increases⁴. If you sell on terms where your side carries port risk, check now which party pays for delay.

Concrete steps: confirm with your forwarder whether each booked terminal is operating before releasing truck appointments, put free-time and detention clauses at the top of the file, and ask for written confirmation of gate hours. Where cargo is discretionary, keep Oakland and east coast options quoted rather than booked, since forwarders are not yet advising a switch⁶. For contracting, treat any rate offer built on a congestion premium as provisional until the labour question is settled.

Sources

1.Hellenic Shipping News, Talks continue as ports, watchmen work to avoid strike at US ports of LA/LB, 4 November 2026. Accessed 5 November 2026.
2.The Loadstar, LA/LB port complex braces for potential strike as labour contract expires, 30 October 2026. Accessed 5 November 2026.
3.SupplyChainBrain, Port Workers, Employers Push Long Beach Strike Threat to Nov. 4, 2 November 2026. Accessed 5 November 2026.
4.FreightWaves, Asia-US container rates hold as carriers seek $3,000 November rate hikes, 4 November 2026. Accessed 5 November 2026.
5.portoflosangeles.org, The Port of Los Angeles: America's Port®. Accessed 5 November 2026.
6.The Loadstar, Fears a strike at San Pedro Bay ports could see congestion, 3 November 2026. Accessed 5 November 2026.

How this story was made: the Procupy News Desk researched and wrote it with AI tools, working only from the sources listed above. Automated checks confirmed that every number and quote appears in those sources, and a separate AI fact-check compared the story with them before publication. Read our editorial policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.