The West Coast dockworkers union is heading to bankruptcy court to protect its finances as it contends with a lawsuit over job actions. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union filed for chapter 11 protection to halt litigation brought by a former terminal operator at Oregon’s Port of Portland. The WSJ’s Andrew Scurria reports the ILWU case involves work slowdowns and stoppages at the Pacific Northwest during labor confrontations more than a decade ago. A federal jury has already ruled the ILWU’s actions were illegal, and litigation has dragged on over how much the union owes Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services. The union is coming off ratification of a six-year contract for about 22,000 workers at 29 ports. Portland largely fell off container shipping trade routes amid concerns including labor strife, although the Columbia River site gained some box volumes during the pandemic as an alternative to congested gateways.

• South Carolina asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling allowing union workers to run container operations at the Port of Charleston’s new Leatherman Terminal. (Post and Courier)

Unionized auto workers are spreading their walkout to more U.S. factories. The new United Auto Workers expansion spreads the strike to a Ford plant in Chicago and a General Motors site in Michigan, the WSJ’s Nora Eckert and Ryan Felton report, but spared Stellantis for now because of what the union says is significant progress at the bargaining table. The new walkouts add nearly 7,000 workers to the roughly 18,000 members already on strike and take in popular SUVs, including Ford’s Lincoln Aviator and GM’s Buick Enclave. The union has been gradually expanding the walkouts but so far without causing deep disruption across the companies’ factory footprints or biggest moneymakers. The sector’s conversion to electric vehicles is looming over the contract talks. Ford’s CEO says the sides have been close to a deal but hit a sticking point over future jobs at the company’s planned battery plants.

• Here’s how Stellantis and CEO Carlos Tavares are making progress with the union and avoiding more strikes for now. (WSJ)
• Pilots at United Airlines approved a contract that includes pay raises of as much as 40% over the course of its four-year term. (WSJ)
• UAW-represented workers at five Mack Trucks plants in the U.S. are threatening a strike amid ongoing contract negotiations. (Allentown Morning Call)
• Workers at a South African coal export terminal rejected a wage offer and will continue their strike. (Bloomberg)

U.S. consumer spending rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in August, in part on rising gasoline prices. (WSJ)

China’s factories in September reported their first expansion in activity since the spring. (WSJ)

U.S. goods imports slipped 1.2% from July to August while goods exports rose 2.2%. (MarketWatch)

Food-delivery startup Wonder Group is acquiring meal-kit company Blue Apron. (WSJ)

A judge ruled that higher minimum pay rates could take effect for many New York City food delivery workers amid challenges by app-based companies. (WSJ)

Nike trimmed its quarterly stock levels 10%, the seventh straight quarter of annual inventory contraction. (WSJ)

South Korea's exports contracted on an annual basis for a 12th straight month in September. (Reuters)

Frontline owner John Fredriksen and takeover target Euronav are near a deal to carve up the Belgian tanker operator’s fleet. (TradeWinds)

Container throughput at China’s ports rose 4.8% in the first eight months of the year. (Port Technology)

Maersk Air Cargo is open to expanding its fleet of 25 freighters, which includes some operating for United Parcel Service. (Air Cargo News)

Dollar Tree will pay $1.2 million to settle charges over alleged hazardous materials waste at California distribution centers. (Progressive Grocer)

Toys R Us parent WHP Global plans to open as many as 24 stores in the U.S. starting next year. (CNBC)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.