Seattle port shuts down after coordinated labor disruption

The Port of Seattle shut down cargo operations June 9-10 after  the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) refused to dispatch labor to container terminals. 

The shutdown followed similar events earlier this month at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where dockworkers staged a coordinated labor disruption, according to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents U.S. West Coast ports, ocean carriers and maritime companies.

"On the second and third shift [June 9], work slowdowns directed by ILWU officials brought ground operations at marine terminals to a halt, resulting in longshore workers being sent home. On the first shift [June 10], the ILWU refused to dispatch any longshore workers to container terminals," PMA officials said in a bulletin.

PMA and ILWU have been at the negotiation table since May 2022, shortly before the 22,000 dockworkers’ previous contract expired in July. The union covers workers at 29 U.S. ports.

The union remains committed to bargaining a contract that is "fair and equitable and represents the hard work and contributions of its members toward the ongoing success of the multibillion-dollar shipping industry," ILWU officials told CNBC in an email statement.

BNSF Railway Co. serves the port.