Flatbed trailer loaded with steel I-beams secured by yellow and orange straps

By the Connect Express Team, Glendale, AZ. Published November 5, 2026.

A possible strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has been pushed back again. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the employer group in the talks, says it and ILWU Local 26 have extended their contract through midnight Pacific Time on Friday, November 6, 2026, with talks continuing Friday with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Much of the import freight that ends up in Phoenix-area warehouses comes through these two ports, so here is what is at stake and what shippers can do this week.

How the Deadline Has Moved

According to PMA statements, the original deadline was November 1. On October 30 the two sides signed an extension to 5 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, November 4. On November 4 they extended it again, to midnight Friday night. PMA says the two sides have met regularly for more than a year, since the prior agreement expired in July 2025.

Why About 250 Workers Matter

Local 26 represents about 250 watchmen, roughly 2% of the ILWU workforce at the ports. PMA says they provide security at six container terminals, and those terminals handle more than half of the ports’ cargo, including roughly 85% at Long Beach and 33% at Los Angeles.

Even a short stoppage can disrupt freight; our post on the Mexico trucker strike at the Arizona border, suspended a day after it began, covers what it meant for Arizona shippers.

Longshore workers, marine clerks and other ILWU members work under a separate coastwide contract and are not part of this dispute. PMA says, however, that they are not expected to cross a Local 26 picket line, which could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected terminals. That coastwide longshore contract runs through July 1, 2028.

The timing is sensitive. The Port of Los Angeles handled 1,042,652 TEUs in September, the busiest month in its 118-year history. Our earlier post on the Vincent Thomas Bridge closure and record port cargo covers those volumes.

The Same Weekend: Bridge Closure and Local Closures

The new deadline lands the same night Caltrans fully closes the Vincent Thomas Bridge (SR 47) in San Pedro, at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 7, for a 16-month deck replacement. Closer to home, ADOT has full weekend closures on the West Valley stretch of I-10 that weekend and the next; see our post on the I-10 weekend closures west of Phoenix. Further west, check our update on I-10 lane restrictions at Ehrenberg before routing loads to and from California.

What Phoenix Shippers Can Do Now

Ask your forwarder or drayage provider which terminal each of your containers is at, and whether that terminal is one of the six Local 26 covers. Keep shipment paperwork current; our guide to shipping documents for smooth delivery covers what each document should include.
If a container is available now, ask whether it can be picked up before Friday night instead of waiting for next week.
Build some slack into November delivery appointments for import freight, and tell receivers early if a load depends on a port pickup. Our guide on how to reduce freight delays lists what to send, and our rundown of the top causes of missed delivery appointments shows where schedules usually break.
Once freight is transloaded in Southern California, plan the eastbound leg. Our Phoenix to Southern California trucking guide covers that lane. If you need a truck for it, our checklist on what to send dispatch for a dry van quote helps you get one faster.
Where receivers can stage trailers, drop and hook trucking can cut the time drivers spend waiting at the dock when import freight arrives late.
Ask for status updates on every port-dependent load; our guide to freight visibility tools for shippers covers the options.

A deal could be reached at any time, and a strike, if one happens, could end quickly or drag on. Check PMA’s statements and your terminal’s notices before you dispatch.

Connect Express runs dry van trucking, reefer and flatbed truckloads across Phoenix and the Southwest. Call us at 480-401-1998, email admin@connectexpressllc.com, or visit 5701 W Maryland Ave, Glendale, AZ 85301.