LA-Long Beach port watchmen strike deadline likely slips to Nov. 4, but gate risk remains

A strike by about 250 port security watchmen could shut gates at some of the busiest container terminals in the country this weekend. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) said Thursday the deadline is expected to slip from Sunday, Nov. 1 to Wednesday, Nov. 4. As of Friday, Dimerco reported, the extension was not confirmed and no labor agreement had been announced.

What is at stake

The workers belong to ILWU Local 26, which represents maritime security employees and watchmen at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. According to gCaptain on Oct. 27, they make up roughly 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports. The local's president, Luisa Gratz, wrote in an Oct. 23 letter that talks with the PMA have gone nowhere since 2025.

The small headcount is not the main concern. The PMA has said other ILWU members are not expected to cross Local 26 picket lines. If they honor them, vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected terminals could stop.

gCaptain reported that the local's notice lists eight facilities, including APM Terminals, Long Beach Container Terminal, Total Terminals International, Pacific Container Terminal and several SSA Marine berths. By the PMA's count, the terminals involved handle about 85% of Long Beach's cargo and 33% of Los Angeles' cargo. The PMA says it will keep bargaining with help from federal mediators, and it disputes the union's account of the talks.

What it means for carriers

Drayage fleets are first in line. A picket line at a gate means trucks cannot pick up or return boxes, and drivers sit unpaid in queues. Dimerco's advisory says shippers and truckers should move import pickups and empty returns before the deadline where appointments allow, and not wait on the expected extension.

Carriers should document any failed pickup or return attempt. Dimerco also warns that demurrage and detention charges will not be waived automatically.

What shippers and brokers should watch

Check free-time expiration dates on containers still at the terminals, and confirm export receiving windows and vessel cutoffs before sending cargo to the port. Brokers with drayage commitments should tell customers now which loads could stall and which could be rerouted.

Nothing has shut down yet, and Dimerco notes that a port-wide closure is not confirmed. A short extension buys only three more days, so the exposure stays live into next week. Watch for a PMA or ILWU announcement on the extension or a tentative deal.