About 250 unionized watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have authorized a strike that could begin as early as November 1, raising the risk of a much larger disruption at the United States' busiest container gateway during the run-up to the holiday season.

Who Is Involved and What's at Stake

The workers belong to ILWU Local 26, a separate bargaining unit from the coastwide longshore agreement that runs through 2028. Their previous contract with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents terminal operators, expired in July 2025, and the two sides have been negotiating with the help of federal mediators for more than a year. Though Local 26 represents only about 2% of ILWU workers at the two ports, its members provide security at terminals that handle roughly 85% of Long Beach's cargo and about a third of Los Angeles' cargo. Because other ILWU members are expected to honor any picket lines, a walkout by this relatively small group could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected facilities.

Where Talks Stand

PMA has said it remains committed to reaching a deal and will keep negotiating through the November 1 deadline and beyond if needed. The employer group says its offer includes wage increases and pension improvements, noting that full-time watchmen already earn more than $170,000 a year on average, plus fully paid health care and pension benefits. PMA says every tentative agreement so far has come from union proposals, with none of the employers' proposals resolved and significant differences still unresolved. The union has not publicly detailed its specific demands. Both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have urged the parties to keep talking and said they hope for a resolution without disruption. Long Beach's port CEO noted that general port-wide security, provided separately by harbor patrol and police, would continue uninterrupted regardless of the outcome.

Congestion Already Building

The strike threat arrives at a difficult moment. The LA-Long Beach complex has been dealing with months of record or near-record container volumes, which have driven up congestion and rail container dwell times. Containers are already facing delays moving inland by rail because of difficulty positioning enough rail equipment in Southern California. Any work stoppage at the terminals would add to this backlog just as retailers are trying to move holiday merchandise toward stores.

Rate Pressure Across Other Lanes

Separately, freight market data shows transpacific container rates have continued climbing even as the typical post-peak-season cooling was expected. Prices to the US West Coast and East Coast both rose last week, with East Coast rates reaching a new high for the year. Some forwarders report early signs of cooling demand and more available space, but congestion, blanked sailings and vessel bunching from ships taking shorter Red Sea routes have helped keep upward pressure on prices for now. Asia-Europe rates have also ticked up for November even though underlying demand on those lanes is described as cool.

What This Means for Shippers

Shippers and cargo owners moving freight through Los Angeles or Long Beach should prepare for possible delays if the strike proceeds, since a picket line at even a handful of terminals could stop cargo handling across facilities responsible for a large share of total port volume. Given that rail backlogs already exist, any added disruption could push inland transit times out further. Because transpacific rates have continued rising rather than falling as expected, shippers should not assume rate relief in the near term and may want to confirm booking commitments and track vessel and terminal status closely in the coming days. Those with time-sensitive holiday shipments may want to discuss contingency routing with carriers or forwarders in case the strike goes forward on November 1.

Sources: container-news.com, joc.com, freightwaves.com