A potential strike threatening operations at some of the busiest container terminals in the United States has been pushed back after the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 agreed to extend negotiations through November 4. The association announced on Friday that the two sides had signed an extension through 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, November 4, avoiding a potential walkout that had been threatened for November 1.
Negotiations will continue with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The dispute involves approximately 250 maritime watchmen represented by Local 26 who perform security related duties at terminals throughout the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Despite the relatively small number of workers involved, the potential disruption is significant. According to the association, Local 26 members work at terminals handling roughly 85 percent of cargo moving through the Port of Long Beach and 33 percent at the Port of Los Angeles, and the association has warned that other ILWU workers are unlikely to cross Local 26 picket lines, potentially halting vessel, yard and gate operations at affected terminals. The union had identified eight terminal locations that could be affected.
The two sides have been negotiating a new agreement since the previous contract expired in July 2025. The stakes are high for the Southern California port complex, which handled a combined record 2.04 million twenty foot equivalent units in September. The extension provides several additional days, but the underlying dispute remains unresolved, with the next deadline set for Wednesday afternoon.