In 2012, members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union were locked out by the employers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in the U.S. state of California.
[6] Following this, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sent a letter to both the union and representatives for the employers, urging them to resume negotiations.
Representatives Judy Chu, Janice Hahn, and Grace Napolitano (all members of the Democratic Party) had voiced their support for the striking workers,[11] while Bloomberg News stated that the National Retail Federation was asking U.S. President Barack Obama to intervene in the labor dispute and also claimed that, if the strike continued, ships originally intended for the ports may instead divert to other ports along the West Coast, significantly increasing shipping costs.
[9] On December 2, following four consecutive days of negotiations, Villaraigosa sent a letter to the employers and union urging them to seek out mediation to resolve the dispute.
[14] Around this same time, estimates put the economic impact of the strike at almost $1 billion per day,[15][16] a figure disputed by international economist Jock O'Connell.
[19] On December 4, Villaraigosa announced that both sides had agreed to Federal mediation, with a union representative stating that the strike would still continue.
[21] Later that night, around 10:30 p.m., Villaraigosa announced that both sides had agreed to end the strike, with workers returning to work the following day.
[16] In February 2013, however, the tentative contract was rejected by the union, raising concerns over possible continuing strike action.