Last week, clerical employees at two of US' largest ports--the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach--walked out, and experts have said that strike is impacting an estimated $1 billion of cargo per day as numerous vessels have had to be rerouted. The approximately 800 workers on strike are represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and other workers at the ports have refused to cross picket lines. According to news reports, seven of eight Los Angeles shipping terminals have been shut down, and three of six were closed in Long Beach.
Various news sources have indicated that the strike forced at least 18 freighters to change course to other ports on the coast, including in Northern California, Mexico and Panama. On Tuesday, 13 ships were still waiting outside of the Los Angeles-Long Beach port area.
According to a statement from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the union and the Employers Association met all night Monday into Tuesday, but the two parties remain far apart on some issues.
As a result, the union and management negotiators said Tuesday that they had agreed to have a federal mediator intervene to try and solve the issues.