San Pedro Bay strike threat puts 85% of Long Beach box traffic at risk

A stoppage by just 250 security workers could halt 85% of container traffic at the port of Long Beach and a third of it at Los Angeles, according to the Pacific Maritime Association. The walkout is set for 5pm Pacific time on Wednesday, 4 November, unless last-minute talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the PMA produce an agreement.

The workers at the centre of the dispute are watchmen, who perform security-related duties at container terminals across the Los Angeles/Long Beach complex. They have been working under contract extensions since their agreement expired in July 2025. Union members had already authorised a strike for 1 November, but both sides agreed to extend negotiations by a few days, to 4 November.

How wide could the disruption spread?

The arithmetic of a small bargaining unit masks a larger risk. Ted Chen, ocean freight and trade compliance director at logistics provider Dimerco, said there was a high likelihood that other port employees would support the strike. Forwarder Woodland Group echoed that concern in advice to customers.

"Other ILWU members may decline to cross picket lines established by striking security workers, potentially preventing normal operations at affected terminals," Woodland warned. "Should this occur, disruption could extend to vessel loading and unloading, container handling, terminal gate activity and the movement of cargo between port facilities and inland transport networks. The actual scale of any interruption would depend on the terminals affected, the participation of other workers and the duration of industrial action."

A stoppage would also land on an already-stressed system. Several affected terminals are reporting extended dwell times for rail cargo, and any industrial action would aggravate that inland congestion.

What are shippers doing about it?

Forwarders describe rising anxiety rather than a wholesale rerouting of cargo. "The larger concern in the near term is how quickly congestion could build if there is a labour disruption, particularly given the existing pressure on inland rail," a spokesman for AIT Worldwide Logistics said.

He added that customers were actively reviewing their options. "We are hearing increased concern and requests for contingency planning from customers, especially those with time-sensitive freight, who are evaluating alternative gateways and air options. However, there's no significant shift so far in routing, and certainly no broad migration away from LA/LB," the spokesman said.

Dimerco has advised clients to expedite the pick-up and delivery of containers where possible, but it is not advocating alternative routings at this stage. "We have not heard anything definitive that suggests the strike may go longer than desired," Mr Chen said.

Woodland has taken a similar line. Rather than triggering diversions, it has urged customers to review time-sensitive cargo movements, confirm terminal operating arrangements, and monitor changes to scheduled collections, deliveries and vessel services.

In the background, the legal temperature around the port complex is also rising. California port workers have filed two class action lawsuits against the PMA and terminal operator bosses, adding another layer of friction between labour and management at the twin ports.

For now, the clock is the story. If no deal emerges by 5pm on Wednesday, the first test will be whether ILWU members beyond the watchmen's unit honour picket lines — and how fast rail-bound boxes pile up behind gated terminals. The trajectory of both talks and dwell times over the coming week will determine whether LA/LB shippers hold their routing nerve or begin a broader migration to alternative gateways.