LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex, already burdened with a longshore labor shortage and intermodal rail congestion, faces the possibility of a job action by clerical workers in the offices of steamship lines and terminal operators.

The contract for the Office Clerical Unit of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 in Southern California expires at midnight Wednesday. Negotiators are reportedly far apart on the key issues of health care benefits and wages.

Although the office clerical workers are part of the ILWU, they are not covered by the new coastwide longshore contract negotiated in late 2002. The Local 63 Office Clerical Unit also has individual contracts with about a dozen steamship lines and terminal operators, each slightly different.

Some companies have as few as 20 office workers covered by the ILWU contract, while the larger carriers have 60 or more. The union members include office assistants and other employees who work for shipping lines and terminal operators. They are not cargo handlers.

Negotiators for the individual employers and ILWU Local 63 clerical division could not be reached for comment, so it is uncertain if any job action is contemplated if they are unable to reach a settlement by midnight.

The contract covers only office clerical workers in Southern California.

ILWU spokesman Steve Stallone could not comment on the negotiations, but when asked if dockworkers would honor any picket lines that might be set up by the office clerical workers, he said they certainly would.

"You never cross a picket line," Stallone said. If that scenario develops, the dockworkers would only return to work if ordered to do so by an arbitrator, he said.

By Bill Mongelluzzo