Due to labor issues, the terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach were closed starting Thursday evening, causing disruptions for logistics providers and missed truck appointments ahead of Easter weekend. Several stakeholders, including ports, trucking groups, shipping lines, and terminal operators, reported widespread terminal closures that continued throughout Friday. The Port of Long Beach Executive Director, Mario Cordero, stated that four of the port’s container terminals remained closed for the full day as terminal operators shut down after workers failed to report for work. However, Cordero added that regular hours and operations are expected to resume the following day.
According to the Pacific Maritime Association, a local union at the twin ports withheld some labor for the evening shift on Thursday, causing widespread labor shortages that halted terminal operations. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union declined to comment, referring inquiries to ILWU Local 13. The local union did not take credit for the labor action, citing a monthly union membership meeting attended by several thousand workers and union members taking a religious holiday on Friday, April 7.
While limited terminal operations are common at ports worldwide ahead of Easter Sunday, labor shortages and terminal closures across both ports over the past few days have led some to question whether the disruptions were solely tied to an administrative meeting. Logistics providers have warned their customers of potential delays and disruptions, with some vessels affected by work actions, and truck gates marked as closed for the Easter Sunday holiday at least one terminal.
These port disruptions come at a difficult time for the nation’s largest port complex, which continues to lose market share as shippers shift volumes elsewhere to avoid potential disruptions from ongoing negotiations. While union leaders and port employers had previously insisted that no significant disruptions would result from the talks, a lack of an enforceable contract has led to smaller disputes and other limited disruptions over the past year. The PMA expressed concern that these actions undermine confidence in West Coast ports and threaten to further accelerate the diversion of discretionary cargo to Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, impacting the Southern California and state economy’s health, which depend on the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to stem this market share erosion.
