ILWU causes major labor disruptions at Port of LA/Long Beach

The strike staged by International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit (“OCU”) against APM Terminals at the Port of Los Angeles escalated dramatically on Wednesday, and now the Port of Long Beach is in the thick of it, too.

The only terminal that has not been affected is TraPac,” said Port of Los Angeles spokesman, Phillip Sanfield.

Three of the six container terminals at the Port of Long Beach were not operating. These terminals were Long Beach Container Terminal at Pier F, International Transportation Service at Pier G and Total Terminals International at Pier T. The following terminals are operating; SSAT at Pier A, SSAT/Matson at Pier C and Pacific Container Terminal at Pier J. 

News of the impasse came from the negotiating teams representing employers at the ports of LA/Long Beach, who noted that unions had “refused to honor an area arbitrator’s order directing them to return to work.
Shippers were quick to react.

“A work stoppage at America’s two busiest ports just as the holiday shopping season begins is a recipe for disaster,” Sandy Kennedy , president of The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)  “If the strike isn’t resolved quickly, the effects on retailers, their customers and the economy will be enormous. We urge the parties to quickly resolve the dispute and get back to work in order to avoid the substantial economic damage a prolonged work stoppage would surely cause.”