Union dockworkers affiliated with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union staged a coordinated walkout on Tuesday, July 22, 2026, shutting down terminals at the Ports of Oakland, Stockton, and Sacramento in northern California. The action was taken in sympathy with striking warehouse workers at C&H Sugar in Crockett — located 25 miles north of Oakland — who have been on strike since June 15. An arbitrator ruled the walkout violated the PMA-ILWU contract and ordered workers back to their posts. Operations resumed by second shift on Wednesday, July 22. The Pacific Maritime Association condemned the action as illegal and damaging to supply chain stakeholders nationwide.
Union dockworkers at the Port of Oakland walked off the job Tuesday in sympathy with striking employees at an area sugar refiner.
Sympathy walkout halts operations across three northern California ports
The walkout by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union shut down terminals at Oakland; the job action extended to workers at the ports of Stockton and Sacramento, also in northern California.
The coordinated labor action affected all three seaports simultaneously. spokesman Justin Berton, in an email to FreightWaves, “Representatives from the Port of Oakland’s major tenants reported yesterday morning that workers at several locations left their terminals in what appears to be a coordinated labor activity at several seaports, and unrelated to the Oakland waterfront operations.”
The Port of Oakland could not specify how many dockworkers participated in the walkout. The terminals are privately owned by four companies that manage all hiring. FreightWaves has reached out for comment.
Operations resume after arbitrator orders return to work
Terminals were all open as of second shift on Wednesday, were quite busy, and operations are back to normal today, port staff said in an email.
The Pacific Maritime Association employers group confirmed union longshore workers walked off the job at the Ports of Oakland, Sacramento and Stockton “in violation of the PMA-ILWU contract.” An arbitrator confirmed that the coordinated work stoppage violated the contract and ordered the longshoremen back to work.
“Illegal work actions of this kind negatively impact businesses, workers and customers throughout the supply chain, including those who have no involvement with the dispute involved in today’s work stoppage,” the Pacific Maritime Association said.
SSA Terminals, which operates SSA Oakland International Container Terminal, referred questions to the port.
Root cause: C&H Sugar strike escalates amid truck access blockade
Tensions over contract talks with striking warehouse personnel represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union at C&H Sugar, 25 miles north of the port in Crockett, escalated this week when two union protesters were arrested after they and a crowd of supporters blocked truck access to the plant.
Local media reported that strikers blocked the plant after C&H Sugar hired non-union workers to unload a ship. The sugar workers have been on strike since June 15.
The walkout occurred on Tuesday, July 22, 2026. This article was updated July 22 to correct the date of the walkout to Tuesday and to add statements from the Port of Oakland and the Pacific Maritime Association.
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Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
