By Lisa Baertlein
LOS ANGELES, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports employer group and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 extended their contract to November 20 and plan to continue negotiating a new labor agreement covering about 2% of workers at the busiest US container port complex.
• The Pacific Maritime Association and the union representing about 250 maritime watchmen at the ports are negotiating with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
• Union watchmen control and inspect truck and employee entries at terminal gates, provide terminal security and guard and track critical cargo crossing the docks.
• A strike by the ILWU watchmen would disrupt operations at terminals that handle more than half of the ports’ cargo, including roughly 85% at Long Beach and 33% at Los Angeles, PMA said.
• The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports each reported all-time cargo volume records for September. Those shipments included retail goods for holiday sales, equipment for AI data center construction and auto parts.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Chris Reese)