A potential strike by port watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach has been delayed again after the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 agreed to extend their contract through midnight Pacific Time on Friday.
Negotiations will continue Friday with assistance from federal mediators.
The latest extension follows an earlier agreement that pushed a potential walkout from Nov. 1 to 5 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday.
“The Pacific Maritime Association and ILWU Local 26 have agreed to extend their contract through midnight Pacific Time on Friday night, November 6,” the PMA said in a statement. “Negotiations will continue on Friday with the help of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Local 26 represents about 250 watchmen, roughly 2% of the ILWU workforce at the ports. PMA remains committed to reaching a fair agreement at the bargaining table that avoids disruption at the nation’s two busiest ports.”
The dispute involves 250 watchmen who perform security-related duties at marine terminals. A walkout would potentially affect terminals that handle more than half of the ports’ cargo, including roughly 85% at Long Beach and 33% at Los Angeles.
A strike could have consequences beyond security operations. PMA has warned that other ILWU members, including longshore workers and marine clerks covered by separate contracts, are expected to honor Local 26 picket lines. That could interrupt vessel loading and unloading, container-yard activity and truck-gate operations at affected terminals.
The watchmen’s previous agreement expired in July 2025, and employees have continued working under extensions while the union and employers negotiate a replacement. Local 26 members authorized a strike after more than a year of bargaining.
These talks are separate from the broader West Coast longshore agreement covering approximately 22,000 workers at 29 ports, which remains in effect through 2028.
Why it matters: The extension buys time to avoid a potentially major supply-chain disruption at the busiest U.S. container port complex.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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