LOS ANGELES — A dockworker shortage at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports stretched into its second day Friday, halting cargo traffic at the massive shipping complex while disrupting the local economy and the global supply chain.
The apparently temporary shutdown at the twin ports — a critical entry point for imports arriving from Asia — has exacerbated fears about a logistical infrastructure that has never fully recalibrated since the COVID-19 pandemic delays and shone a stark, national spotlight on the high-stakes labor negotiations playing out at the ports.
The union that represents West Coast dockworkers and the industry group representing maritime shippers are several months into negotiating a new contract, which is focused, in part, on wages and the role of automation. The old contract, covering more than 22,000 workers at 29 ports, expired July 1.
