California: Los Angeles and Long Beach Port Employers and Maritime Watchmen Extend Talks to Nov. 5, Averting a Strike at the Busiest U.S. Port Complex
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California — The employer group at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports and the maritime watchmen's union have agreed to extend their negotiating deadline from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5, averting a strike that could have snarled cargo flows at the nation's busiest container port complex, Reuters reported Oct. 30.
The Pacific Maritime Association said on Oct. 30 that it and ILWU Local 26, which represents about 250 maritime watchmen, will continue negotiations with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The watchmen control and inspect truck and employee entries at terminal gates, provide terminal security and guard and track critical cargo, working at terminals that handle roughly 85% of cargo at the Port of Long Beach and 33% at the Port of Los Angeles.
Both ports reported all-time cargo volume records in September, with shipments including retail goods for holiday sales, equipment for AI data center construction and auto parts. Although the watchmen make up only about 2% of port workers, a walkout could still have disrupted cargo flows. The extension gives both sides four more days of talks and temporary relief for supply chains in the holiday stocking season.
Source: GSM·America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：洛杉矶县行政厅（Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration）外景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 3.0），GSM固定图库。 / Photo: Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, Los Angeles County, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), GSM fixed library.
