Port traffic moving

The strike by clerical workers at the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach does not appear to be impacting the loading and unloading of cargo - so far. Longshoremen usually honor picket lines, but John Fageaux Jr., president of Local 63, told AP that an arbitrator barred them from doing so.

Longshoremen refused to cross picket lines at two terminals overnight, but the Harbor Employees Association, which represents shippers and terminal operators, brought an emergency grievance to an arbitrator, said Stephen L. Berry, a negotiator for the association. The arbitrator ruled that the clerical unit had bargained in bad faith, making its picket line invalid, and ordered longshoremen back to work by 8 a.m., Berry said.

The early hours of a strike are often confusing and accurate information can be tough to come by. So stay tuned. The impasse largely centers on concerns about shipping companies using new technology and outsourcing jobs. If that sounds familiar, it's because a similar standoff happened three years ago when workers threatened a walkout.