They want people to blame their problems on workers.

wonder if that's partially to obfuscate other cargo (like maybe weapons to israeli occupation) to manufacture consent over outlook on it. ILWU has become right wing zionists for the last two union presidents but used to be anti-war and striked against weapons shipments in their past (and i remember reading the local strikebreaker pigs assigned to California union docks got specific mossad training against such last time there was movement in that way) so these kinds of shipments do pass through their hands. It might coincide that they'd be obstructing shipments that would actually gain huge support for the strikers, so is important to say "look over here! " and threaten the treats.