Container ship NYK Themis at the Port of Los Angeles in September 2021. Archive photograph, not a current disruption. Photo: Downtowngal / Wikimedia Commons. Resized under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Pacific Maritime Association said Friday that it and the union representing about 250 port watchmen had signed a short contract extension covering workers at terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
In its October 30 statement, the employers’ association said its agreement with International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 runs through 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, November 4.
Negotiations will continue with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the employers’ group said.
Local 26’s watchmen work at terminals that handle roughly 85% of cargo moving through the Port of Long Beach and 33% at the Port of Los Angeles, according to the association. The figures describe the terminals where the watchmen work, not the share of cargo that has already stopped moving.
The extension buys more time for bargaining. It is not a final labor settlement or an announcement that a strike has started, and the statement does not say the ports are closed.
“PMA remains committed to reaching a fair agreement at the bargaining table that avoids disruption at the nation’s two busiest ports,” the association said.
JBizNews Desk | Los Angeles
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