On Friday, after months of strained negotiations between the unions representing West Coast dock workers and their employers, a shortage of workers showing up to shifts forced the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to largely shut down.
A substantial number of workers at the two ocean trade gateways, including operators which are required to load and unload cargo, failed to show up for work beginning on Thursday evening, forcing port operations to largely shut down, according to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents employers.
The PMA blamed a coordinated action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to withhold labor as contract negotiations have dragged on.
In a statement, the PMA said, “The action by the union has effectively shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.”
The ILWU however blamed the slowdown on a monthly membership meeting which thousands of union workers had to attend, as well as the Good Friday holiday.
In a statement, ILWU Local 13, which represents union members at both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, said, “Cargo operations are ongoing as longshore workers at the ports remain on the job.”
When workers failed to show up on Friday, the Port of Long Bach operators made the call to close four of the seaport’s six terminals temporarily, according to port spokesman Lee Peterson, who added that it was expected normal operations would resume on Saturday.
Officials at the Port of Los Angeles were in communication with the PMA, the ILWU, and federal, state, and local officials in an effort to “support a return to normal operations,” according to the group, which operates under a unit of the City of Los Angeles.
Union workers at the ports have been working without a contract since July 1st, 2022, when the previous contract expired. Due to the dispute, major retailers have had to shift their cargoes to East and Gulf ports to avoid seeing their imports held up.
As the administration of President Joe Biden has continued to meet with the involved parties, the ILWU and the PMA have recently noted that they reached a tentative agreement on specific sticking points in the negotiation, and would work to resolve matters expeditiously.
