ILWU Local 26 Threatens Strike at Eight LA and Long Beach Terminals

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26, which represents security guards at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, warned other maritime unions that its members could go on strike starting November 1, when the latest extension of their labor agreement expires. The action would affect eight terminals at the two ports and comes after contract negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) failed to reach an agreement.

The local union represents about 250 workers, a small share of the overall port workforce, but they are spread across key terminals: according to Maritime Executive, a strike could affect half of the facilities in the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complex. According to Ports News Russia, the 250 guards authorized the strike, which could begin at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time on November 1, as specified by the PMA; these workers operate at six of the complex's 13 container terminals, which handle around 85% of Long Beach's cargo and 33% of Los Angeles'. The eight locations identified by Local 26 president Luisa Gratz in an October 23 notice are APM Terminals, Long Beach Container Terminal, Total Terminals International, SSA C-60, SSA A-90, SSA LB 206, Pacific Container Terminal and OH 55.

According to Gratz's October 23 letter, the union has been negotiating unsuccessfully with employers and the PMA since 2025, despite the association requesting the involvement of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which the union agreed to. Gratz stated that, despite the commitment to bargain in good faith, nothing of value emerged from that process. According to Ports News Russia, the guards' previous agreement expired on July 1, 2025, and negotiations continued for more than a year with federal mediation, while significant differences persist and none of the employers' proposals were resolved; the PMA offered wage increases and pension improvements, and stated that it remains committed to reaching a fair agreement with Local 26, whose full-time guards earn an average of more than $170,000 a year, in addition to employer-paid health and pension benefits.

The strike threat comes at a time of high activity for Southern California ports, which posted record cargo volumes in September. According to Ports News Russia, Los Angeles handled 1,042,652 TEUs, its best month in 118 years of history, while Long Beach reached a record 997,177 TEUs, for a combined total of 2.04 million TEUs, with loaded imports totaling 1,055,086 TEUs, up 24.4% year-over-year. Gcaptain News noted that this mark came after an unusually extended peak shipping season, although the National Retail Federation forecasts volumes dropping from 2.25 million TEUs in October to 2 million in November. Maritime Executive added that the ports received additional business due to disruptions in the Panama Canal linked to drought, and that port officials attributed part of the upturn to lower tariffs that gave importers greater certainty.

In her letter, Gratz requested support and labor solidarity from other maritime unions, warning that the dispute will affect their members. The International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P), which represents deck officers on U.S.-flagged vessels, said it will provide further guidance to its members working at the affected docks as the deadline approaches. Maritime Executive indicated that the PMA hopes to continue negotiating with union leadership to avoid the labor action, although it told the Wall Street Journal that other unions could join in solidarity, which would cause significant disruption.