Operations at the Port of Oakland were brought to a halt on Wednesday after members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) walked off the job in support of striking workers at C&H Sugar.
FreightWaves was unable to immediately confirm whether similar solidarity actions also took place at other ports along the U.S. West Coast.
According to Port of Oakland spokesperson Justin Berton, major port tenants reported that workers at several terminals left their posts on Tuesday morning as part of what appeared to be a coordinated labor action affecting multiple seaports. He emphasized that the protest was not related to labor issues involving Oakland’s waterfront operations.
The port has not confirmed how many dockworkers participated in the walkout, as all terminal hiring is managed independently by four private operating companies. FreightWaves has reached out to those operators for additional comment.
The demonstration comes amid escalating tensions surrounding contract negotiations between C&H Sugar and its warehouse employees, who are represented by the ILWU. The refinery is located in Crockett, roughly 25 miles north of the Port of Oakland.
Earlier this week, two union protesters were arrested after they and a group of supporters blocked truck access to the sugar refinery. Local media reported that the protest was triggered by C&H Sugar’s decision to use non-union workers to unload a ship.
Workers at C&H Sugar have been on strike since June 15, with the dispute now drawing broader support from unionized dockworkers and disrupting operations at one of the West Coast’s key container ports.
