International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), a labor union which primarily represents dock workers on the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, and in British Columbia, Canada, has taken a concerted action to withhold labor at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, resulting in widespread worker shortages.
A majority of the jobs for the night shift on 7 April, went unfilled, including all jobs for cargo-handling equipment operators needed to load and unload cargo.
The workers who did show up were released because there was not a full complement of ILWU members to operate the terminals.
ILWU Local 13 withheld labor again for the morning shift. The action by the Union has effectively shut down the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Additionally, the Union’s coordinated actions are occurring while negotiations for a new coastwise contract continue.
Moreover, this latest work action comes three weeks after ILWU Local 13 in Southern California stopped complying with a contract provision providing employers the right to assign staggered shifts during meal periods.
The health of Southern California and the state economy depend on the ability of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to stem this market share erosion, according to Pacific Maritime Association’s statement.
