A union local representing just 250 port watchmen has voted to authorize a strike that could begin as soon as Sunday at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation's busiest container-port complex. The timing is brutal, with retailers racing to land their final holiday goods. The walkout has not been confirmed, and talks are still going.
The Pacific Maritime Association told The Wall Street Journal that the local voted to authorize the strike, and that a walkout could begin Sunday at 5 p.m. Pacific if no deal is reached. Southern California port employers warned of a possible strike as soon as Nov. 1, according to the same report.
Small Union, Outsized Reach
The workers involved represent just 2% of the ILWU workforce, gCaptain reports. Yet the terminals where they work handle roughly 85% of Long Beach's cargo and 33% of Los Angeles' cargo. The report says Local 26's strike notice identified eight affected terminal locations, including APM Terminals, Long Beach Container Terminal and Pacific Container Terminal.
The reach comes from the picket line, not the headcount. The Pacific Maritime Association said other ILWU members are not expected to cross any Local 26 picket lines, which could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected terminals. The Maritime Executive similarly reports that a strike could affect about half of the facilities in LA/Long Beach, with the union's 250 members spread across the complex.
A Contract Dispute More Than a Year Old
Local 26 has said its members may strike when the latest extension of their labor agreement expires on Nov. 1. The previous agreement expired in July 2025, and the two sides have met regularly for more than a year, the same gCaptain account notes.
The employers' group is pushing back on the union's position. According to the Pacific Maritime Association, full-time watchmen currently earn an average of more than $170,000 annually. The association also said it would keep negotiating in good faith through the Nov. 1 deadline and beyond if necessary.
Record Cargo Raises the Stakes
The threat lands as the twin ports are running hot. Maritime Executive says July through September was the Port of Los Angeles' busiest quarter on record, with extra business flowing in because of drought-driven disruption at the Panama Canal. The September totals are reported differently: gCaptain puts the combined figure at 2.04 million TEUs, while Maritime Executive says two million.
Both outlets describe September as a record month. Trade economist Jock O'Connell once noted that these ports handle 40% of the nation's import trade, as the Washington Examiner reported during a 2012 clerical walkout. In that dispute, an 800-member ILWU Local 63 unit set up picket lines at seven of eight Port of Los Angeles terminals.
What Comes Next
For now, the outcome rests on the bargaining table. As gCaptain puts it, a strike has not been confirmed, and negotiations remain ongoing. Anyone with holiday freight in the pipeline will be watching the clock to see whether the sides settle before Sunday evening.
