Long Beach, LA Port Watchmen Push Strike Deadline to November 20

The union representing 250 watchmen at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach has agreed to extend its deadline for a strike to November 20.

This marks the third recent extension from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26, as negotiations on a new long-term labor deal between the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association continue. Local 26's contract with the PMA expired in July 2025. In late October, the union voted to authorize a strike, initially set for November 1. The deadline was then delayed to November 4, and then again to November 6.

With the deadline now pushed to November 20, Local 26 and the PMA are expected to continue engaging in labor talks with the help of federal mediators in hopes of avoiding a work stoppage at two of the largest shipping hubs on the West Coast.

Unions at the Southern California ports representing other longshore workers and clerks have indicated that they would honor Local 26's picket lines in the event of a strike. Combined, Long Beach and Los Angeles handled around a third of the country's containerized cargo.

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