West Coast Port Slowdown Raises Fears of Dockworker Strike or Lockout

For months, contract negotiations between a powerful union and multinational shipping lines progressed amicably in public, even though roughly 20,000 West Coast dockworkers labored without a contract. Now the public harmony has been shattered, raising fears that a strike or lockout could close ports up and down the coast and cause economic pain. The Pacific Maritime Assn., which represents employers operating port terminals and shipping lines, has accused the International Longshore and Warehouse Union of deliberately slowing operations at four major West Coast ports, including Los Angeles and Long Beach — the nation's busiest complex.