Oct 29, 2026 | Gateway Lines About 250 port watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach could walk off the job as early as 5 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, November That sounds small. But if other dockworkers honor their picket lines, work could stop at terminals that move more than half of the cargo through the busiest port complex in the country.
If you have containers on the water to Southern California, boxes sitting at a terminal, or November bookings still open, this is worth five minutes. Here is what is happening, what it could mean for your freight, and what we recommend doing before the weekend.
What is happening
ILWU Local 26, the union for the watchmen who handle gate security and cargo watch at marine terminals, has authorized a strike when its contract extension runs out on Sunday, November 1. Its last agreement expired in July 2025, and members have worked under extensions ever since.
Talks with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the employer group, have run for more than a year, and federal mediators are now involved. As of October 28, both sides were still at the table. PMA says it will keep negotiating through the deadline and beyond if needed.
The strike threat at a glance | |
|---|---|
Who | ILWU Local 26 port watchmen, about 250 workers |
When | As early as 5 p.m. Pacific, Sunday, November 1, 2026 |
Where | 8 terminal locations named in the union's strike notice |
Cargo exposed | Terminals that handle about 85% of Long Beach cargo and 33% of Los Angeles cargo |
Status | Talks continuing with federal mediators as of October 28 |
The terminal locations named in the union's notice:
APM Terminals (APMT)
Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT)
Total Terminals International (TTI)
SSA at C-60
A-90
LB 206
Pacific Container Terminal (PCT)
OH 55
PMA's own count puts Local 26 watchmen at six of the complex's 13 container terminals. Either way, if your box is headed to one of these facilities, plan as if it could be affected.
Why a small union could have a big impact
The watchmen are only about 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports. The reach comes from the picket line, not the headcount. PMA expects other ILWU members not to cross Local 26 picket lines, which could stop vessel, yard and gate work at the affected terminals.
This has happened before. In November 2012, about 70 port clerks walked out. Roughly 10,000 longshoremen refused to cross their picket lines, and more than half the terminals in LA and Long Beach shut down for eight days. Seventeen ships bound for the complex were diverted to other ports, and estimates put the cost near $1 billion a day.
The timing makes it worse:
Record volumes. LA and Long Beach set all-time monthly records in September, moving a combined 2.04 million TEU. The Port of LA alone handled about 1.04 million TEU, the busiest month in its history.
A rail backlog already in place. Nearly 35,700 import containers were waiting for on-dock trains on October 26, and more than 10,500 of them had sat for nine days or longer. Railcar shortages are the main cause.
Rising dwell times. Average rail container dwell across the complex rose to 7.19 days in September, and truck dwell rose to 3.18 days.
One piece of good news: this is not a coastwide labor fight. The main ILWU contract covering about 22,000 longshore workers and clerks at 29 West Coast ports runs through 2028, so Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma and the rest of the coast are not part of this dispute.
What it could mean for your freight
Even a short stoppage can ripple for weeks, because every day of closed gates adds to the pile that has to clear once they reopen. Here is how it could hit each part of a shipment.
Your freight | What could happen | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
FCL on the water | Vessels for affected terminals wait at anchor or get shifted to other berths; ETAs slip | Carrier advisories and berth changes |
Containers already discharged | Gates close and pickups stop; boxes sit in the yard | Your last free day and any waiver notices |
LCL | One delayed container holds up every shipper inside it; CFS unloading backs up after reopening | Updated CFS availability dates |
Drayage | Truck appointments canceled, then a rush when gates reopen; chassis get tight and rates can jump | Appointment slots and trucker capacity |
Rail and inland points | Delays stack on top of the existing rail backlog | Rail dwell and inland ETAs |
Exports | Empty pickups and export receiving can pause; bookings may roll | Cutoff dates and empty release |
Your costs | Possible congestion surcharges, plus storage, demurrage, detention and truck wait time | Charges posted while gates are closed |
Whether free time stops during a strike depends on each carrier and terminal. Do not assume it does. Get any waiver in writing.
What to do before Sunday
You cannot control the talks, but you can control your exposure. Here is what we recommend doing this week.
Find out which terminal your cargo is going to. Check your arrival notice, then compare it with the list above. Gateway customers can see every shipment in one place in the Gateway portal, or use our container tracking.
Pull discharged boxes out now. If your container is already off the ship at a named terminal, try to get it out before 5 p.m. Pacific on November 1. Check trucking costs on Gateway Dray Rates and book the truck early, before capacity disappears.
Write down every last free day. Track free time box by box and watch for waiver notices from carriers and terminals.
Price a backup route. For November and December bookings, compare West Coast lanes with East and Gulf Coast lanes on Gateway Ocean Rates. Every lane shows the current FCL spot rate, the 30-day trend and the transit time, so you can see what a reroute costs before you commit. Ship steady volume? Ask us about contracted rates for your lanes.
Small shipments: compare LCL gateways. Gateway LCL Rates shows per-CBM pricing from 82 origin ports to 16 US CFS points, including Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Savannah, New York and Chicago, with the next sailing for each lane.
Move urgent goods by air. If a launch or holiday order cannot wait, check Gateway Air Rates for a faster option.
Re-run your landed cost. A new port, mode or delay changes the math. Run your duties on the free Gateway Tariff Calculator, which covers 30,000+ HTS codes, Section 301 and Section 232, and can add landed cost. See our customs pricing on the customs clearance page.
Watch your entry date. Duty depends on when your goods are entered. If you rely on a China Section 301 exclusion, those currently run until November 9, 2026, so a strike delay could push some entries past that date. Check your HTS code on the Section 301 exclusions page.
Talk to your customers today. Let buyers know about the risk now and pad delivery dates. It is much easier than explaining a miss later.
FAQ
Is the whole West Coast going on strike?
No. This involves only ILWU Local 26 watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach. The main West Coast longshore contract runs through 2028.
My cargo goes to a terminal that is not on the list. Am I safe?
Mostly, but not completely. Carriers may shift vessels to terminals that are still working, which can crowd them. Trucks, chassis and rail are shared across the whole complex, so delays spread.
How long could a strike last?
No one knows. The 2012 clerks' strike lasted eight days. The backlog from even a few days of closed gates can take weeks to clear.
Should I reroute to another port?
It depends on your cargo, your deadline and where it is going. Compare total landed cost and delivery date, not just the ocean rate. A cheaper lane can cost more once you add trucking, extra transit days and inventory sitting on the water.
Will freight rates go up?
They could. Disruptions often bring carrier surcharges and higher trucking costs when gates reopen. You can watch each lane's 30-day trend on Gateway Ocean Rates.
What if they reach a deal before Sunday?
Then terminals keep working as normal. But the rail backlog and record volumes mean some congestion will likely carry into November, so the checklist above is still worth running.
Talk to Gateway Lines
We are watching the talks and terminal advisories closely. If you have cargo moving through LA or Long Beach in the next few weeks, reach out. We will help you see where your boxes stand and what your options cost.
Talk to our team or email [email protected]
Check live pricing anytime: Ocean Rates, LCL Rates, Dray Rates, Air Rates and the Tariff Calculator
This article reflects information available as of October 29, 2026. Labor talks move fast, so check back for updates.