LA–Long Beach Watchmen Strike Averted — For Now — as Deal Extended to Nov. 4

A potential work stoppage at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the busiest container gateways in the United States — has been postponed, but only by three days. The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 signed a contract extension through 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, Nov. 4, pushing past the previous Nov. 1 deadline while negotiations continue.

The two sides will keep bargaining with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The agreement buys additional time for talks, but it does not resolve the underlying labor dispute.

Who are the workers at the center of the dispute?

Local 26 represents approximately 250 watchmen who perform security-related duties at port terminals. Their numbers are small, but their position is not. According to PMA, the facilities where these watchmen work handle roughly 85% of cargo moving through the Port of Long Beach and 33% at the Port of Los Angeles.

PMA said it remains committed to reaching a fair agreement at the bargaining table and avoiding disruption at the two ports.

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 had authorized a potential strike ahead of the previous Nov. 1 deadline, according to PMA.

In an Oct. 23 letter, Local 26 President Luisa Gratz said negotiations with employers and PMA had been underway since 2025 without producing an agreement.

The union members earn an average of $170,000 a year. The sides have not disclosed the exact issues in the negotiations.

Why can 250 workers threaten the busiest US port complex?

The watchmen's negotiations are separate from the broader West Coast longshore labor agreement, which runs through 2028 and covers approximately 22,000 workers at 29 ports.

Although the watchmen account for about 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports, their role at major terminals creates the potential for a wider disruption. PMA has warned that other ILWU members could honor picket lines in the event of a strike, potentially interrupting vessel, yard and gate operations at affected facilities.

That dynamic matters for shippers and carriers alike. A stoppage affecting terminals that handle 85% of Long Beach cargo and a third of Los Angeles volumes could ripple through vessel schedules, yard throughput and gate operations — the core functions of the largest US container complex.

What happens next?

The extension gives negotiators more time to resolve a dispute involving about 250 watchmen at terminals handling substantial shares of Los Angeles and Long Beach cargo. With federal mediators now at the table and a hard deadline set for 5 p.m. Pacific on Nov. 4, the outcome of the coming days will determine whether the busiest US port complex keeps moving or faces its first picket-line test of the season.