The union representing about 250 watchmen at the busiest U.S. seaports agreed to extend contract negotiations beyond the November 1 deadline, postponing a strike threat that risked halting cargo operations.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 and the Pacific Maritime Association, the group that represents their employers, signed an extension through 5 p.m. on November 4, the PMA said in a statement on October 30.
The previous agreement expired in July 2025, though the PMA and Local 26 have been meeting regularly to negotiate, with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Local 26 members provide security at six container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. The employer group warned on October 27 that ILWU dockworkers and marine clerks — who have separate labor contracts and are not party to this dispute — are expected to stand with the watchmen in the event of a strike.
Local 26 President Luisa Gratz did not immediately return a request for comment.
Disruptions at the affected terminals could impact roughly 85% of the cargo that moves through the Port of Long Beach and a third of the cargo at the Port of Los Angeles, according to the PMA. The adjacent ports reported record cargo volumes last month and together handle about a third of the country’s seaborne containerized goods.
