I was living in Long Beach during one of those strikes. I’d ride my bike along the beach and look out onto the water and see those big ships just sitting out there, waiting to dock.
Oh yeah, its like clockwork. I knew people that were in other unions, that were smaller and at least a little more responsible (laborers, electricians, etc), that hated the ILWU, because they felt they gave unions a bad name. Not that I’m a fan of ANY union, but when the other unions think you are jerks, thats saying something.
Dont know where you are now, but if you’re like me, the only thing you miss from SoCal is the weather and really, really good Mexican food. I grew up in Carson, right next to Long Beach.