Terminal watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach can walk out at 5pm Pacific time on Wednesday 4 November. Their contract extension ends then, and neither side had announced another one as of 3 November, after a first deadline of 1 November passed without a deal1, 2.
The dispute involves about 250 watchmen in International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26. They carry out security duties at marine terminals, including gate and cargo watch operations2, 3. Their contract expired in July 2025 and they have worked under extensions since1, 6.
Talks continue with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service1, 7. The Pacific Maritime Association, which bargains for terminal employers, said the extension to 4 November gave negotiators more time but did not resolve the dispute1.
Which terminals are exposed
The watchmen are about 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports3. The terminals where they work handle roughly 85% of cargo at Long Beach and 33% at Los Angeles, according to the PMA3, 1.
PMA named six container terminals that employ Local 26 watchmen. The union's strike notice listed eight locations: APM Terminals Pier 400, Long Beach Container Terminal, Total Terminals International, SSA Marine berths C-60 and A-90 and Pacific Container Terminal3. The other two, LB 206 and Outer Harbor Berth 55, are SSA Marine sites that do not handle containers4.
Whether the rest of each terminal keeps working is the central question. PMA has warned that other ILWU members are not expected to cross Local 26 picket lines3, 6. Longshore workers and marine clerks have separate contracts and are not party to this dispute. PMA said a walkout could still stop vessel, yard and gate operations6, 3.
Forwarder Woodland Group told customers: "Other ILWU members may decline to cross picket lines established by striking security workers, potentially preventing normal operations at affected terminals"2. Ted Chen, ocean freight and trade compliance director at Dimerco, said there was a high likelihood other port employees would support the strike2.
The Port of Long Beach said port-wide security from the Harbor Patrol and city police continues during negotiations4. The Port of Los Angeles urged all parties to keep negotiating in good faith4.
Rail is already the weak point
The deadline falls on a gateway already straining inland. Some 35,688 import containers were waiting for on-dock trains on 26 October, according to The Dwell's count of the ports' daily rail reports5. Average rail dwell across the complex rose to 7.19 days in September from 6.75 days in August, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association data show5, 8.
The pressure is on land rather than at sea. One ship was waiting for a berth in the week of 26 October, according to The Dwell's congestion tracker5. Both ports set monthly records in September: Los Angeles handled 1,042,652 TEU and Long Beach 997,177 TEU8. Together they moved 2.04 million TEU3.
Long Beach terminals have added evening and Saturday gates for six weeks, excluding Thanksgiving week8. The Vincent Thomas Bridge closes on 7 November for a 16-month rehabilitation, with 53,000 daily vehicles detoured onto Interstates 710 and 110 and State Route 1038.
Demurrage risk and forwarder advice
If gates close and truck appointments lapse, cost shifts to detention and demurrage, the daily fees for holding a container too long or returning it late9.
Sara Dandan, founder of FourOneOne, said congestion in October tends to produce invoices in November9. She argued that charges should not stand when delays come from terminal closures, unavailable appointments or restrictions on empty returns9. She cited the Federal Maritime Commission's finding that the fees exist to move cargo, not to penalise operators for circumstances they cannot influence9.
Forwarders are preparing without pulling the plug on the gateway. AIT Worldwide Logistics said there is "no significant shift so far in routing, and certainly no broad migration away from LA/LB"2. Customers with time-sensitive freight are asking about other gateways and air, it said2. Dimerco advises clients to speed up pick-up and delivery where possible but does not recommend alternative routings yet2. Woodland advises reviewing time-sensitive cargo, confirming terminal arrangements and tracking collection changes2.
One market participant told ICIS it plans two extra days of lead time through the ports, and another said delays are adding three to four days8.
What happens next
A further extension is the first thing to look for, as happened on 30 October7. Terminal operators' gate and rail notices, and any change to vessel cut-offs, are the next signal2. PMA says significant differences remain3.
Local 26 President Luisa Gratz wrote to other maritime unions on 23 October. She said that "nothing of value has resulted from the Union's commitment to bargaining in good faith with our employers and PMA", and asked for "support and labor solidarity"3.