On November 17, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom toured the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach alongside White House Port Envoy John Porcari to highlight California’s coordinated response to the global supply chain crisis. Our client, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), was a central part of that effort — with ILWU leadership standing alongside the Governor and federal officials as a key voice in shaping the path forward.

The ports, which together handle more than 40% of all containers arriving on U.S. shores, had been experiencing historic congestion driven by a pandemic-fueled surge in consumer demand. California port workers had processed 17% more containers in 2021 than in 2018, the previous record year — a testament to the workforce’s effort even as the system strained under the volume.

The coordinated actions of state government, federal partners, port operators, and labor — with ILWU workers at the core produced measurable results: a 32% drop in containers sitting on docks for more than nine days in just two weeks. Governor Newsom also announced that Caltrans would begin issuing temporary permits for trucks to carry heavier loads on state highways connecting the ports to distribution centers statewide, further accelerating the movement of goods.

We are proud to represent the men and women of the ILWU and to support their work keeping California, and the country, moving.