Operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are back to normal following a brief work stoppage by longshoremen on Tuesday.
Yesterday marked day two of the Teamsters Union strike at the ports, which lead many longshoremen to walk off the job as a way of honoring the other union’s picket line.
However, the longshoremen were soon ordered back to work on Tuesday by a waterfront arbitrator, a move that would have been impossible were it not for Monday’s stunning announcement that the ILWU and PMA had agreed to extend their previous labor contract by three days.
This means business should continue as usual at the ports for the rest of the week. Should the Teamsters continue their picket lines into next week, the ILWU and PMA will most likely agree to another brief contract extension.
While the media blackout on the contract talks continues, the fact that both sides formalized an extension can be taken as a sign that negotiations are going well.