Ports of LA, Long Beach partially shut down for holiday weekend amid labor dispute

SAN PEDRO, Calif. (KABC) -- The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will be partially shut down from Thursday through the holiday weekend as a labor dispute between port employers and the dockworkers' union continues.

Ship unloading will stop for the next few days, when employees would be entitled to holiday and weekend pay. Employers refuse to pay extra to longshoremen who have allegedly slowed their work rate as a pressure tactic, said Steve Getzug, a spokesman for the Pacific Maritime Association, which is bargaining on behalf of terminal operators and shipping companies.

"PMA members have concluded that they will not conduct vessel operations on those dates, paying full shifts of ILWU workers such high rates for severely diminished productivity while the backlog of cargo at West Coast ports grows," the Pacific Maritime Association said in a statement.

The partial closure means workers won't be around to unload ships that carry imports destined for U.S. consumers. Containers of U.S. exports won't get loaded either.

Dockworkers deny slowing down. They say cargo is moving slowly for other reasons, such as a shortage of truck beds that take containers to distribution warehouses.

"It seems to us that the employers are trying to sabotage negotiations," said ILWU President Robert McEllrath. "They are not just hurting workers, families and communities. What our employers are doing is bad for the industry and the U.S. economy."

The two sides have been negotiating a new contract, and stalled talks have all but paralyzed 29 ports that handle about one-quarter of U.S. international trade - around $1 trillion worth of cargo annually.

Talks have stalled over how to arbitrate future workplace disputes. Some of the biggest issues, including health care, have been resolved with tentative agreements.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.