Posts tagged cargo
Talks continue with watchmen at ports of LA and Long Beach
November 2, 2026 // A potential strike by 250 workers that could affect cargo traffic at the ports of Los Angels and Long Beach has been pushed back after the two sides in the dispute extended their negotiating deadline. The Pacific Maritime Association said in a statement on social media that it had signed an agreement with International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 to extend their existing contract through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The contract had been set to expire on Oct. 31, which could have led to a strike as of today (Sunday, Nov. 1).
Union watchmen authorize strike at LA-Long Beach ports
October 28, 2026 // Although ILWU Local 26 accounts for only 2 percent of the union's total workforce at the two ports, the association said the terminals where its members work handle more than half of the cargo moving through the San Pedro Bay complex. The potentially impacted terminals handle roughly 85 percent of Long Beach's cargo and 33 percent of freight at the Port of Los Angeles, the PMA said. A watchmen strike could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected terminals at both ports.
Dockworkers Launch Strike at Ports From Maine to Texas
October 1, 2024 // Port employers, pressed by Biden administration officials to resolve the impasse, raised their offer on wages to a 50% increase over six years, from an earlier 40% increase, along with other improvements in benefits in the 24 hours before the strike deadline. The ILA is seeking a 77% wage increase over six years as a condition to sit down to talks with maritime employers, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The walkout shuts down some of the country’s main gateways for imports of food, vehicles, heavy machinery, construction materials, chemicals, furniture, clothes and toys.
West Coast port dispute poses latest threat to supply chain
July 1, 2022 // The tenuous West Coast port contract negotiations, which began in May, have centered around wages, worker safety and automation. The union has pointed to ocean carriers’ record-smashing profits during the pandemic, while shippers have insisted that port workers enjoy competitive salaries that average six figures. The ILWU has pushed back on shipping companies’ push to automate port systems over the threat of job losses, while shippers claim that U.S. ports must be modernized to boost efficiency. Jess Dankert, Jay Timmons,
Already strained supply chain at risk in ongoing port labor talks
June 22, 2022 // Both Tirschwell and Larian point out that it wouldn't take a strike or a management lockout to slow or stop the flow of cargo. In the past, union members have slowed cargo simply by following strictly the terms of their existing contact, rather than trying to work most effectively. "Maybe they won't go on strike, but they can slow down everything," said Larian, the toymaker CEO. "A strike is very unlikely. A lockout is very unlikely," said Tirschwell. "But there's a definite possibility of an industrial action that disrupts the flow of cargo. That's what happened for six months in 2014 and 2015." Jim McKenna, Isaac Larian, Peter Tirschwell,
What West Coast ports’ labor negotiations mean for your packages
May 27, 2022 // The employers’ right to automate their operations has become a prominent issue in the contract. The 2002 deal introduced new technologies such as scanners and character-recognition technology, while the 2008 pact explicitly authorized automation. Last year, Total Terminals International LLC announced its intention to fully automate its Long Beach operations, a project the ILWU strongly opposed. This would make it San Pedro Bay’s fourth terminal with some automation out of the port complex’s 14 hubs.
Labor Unions (Quietly) Admit the Jones Act Is Contributing to America’s Supply Chain Problems
April 21, 2022 // The AFL-CIO appears to recognize that the Jones Act is part of the US supply chain problem.