Port of Oakland, other San Francisco Bay ports, closed on Thursday

Longshoremen in ‘safety stand down’ after death of worker in Benicia.    The death of a longshoreman who was working in the Port of Benicia on Wednesday afternoon has led to a shutdown of all ports in the San Francisco Bay region, including the Port of Oakland and Port of Redwood City.
   Craig Merrilees, communications director for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said a safety stand down by members of the ILWU is standard procedure in the area after the death of a member. The port is closed, and ILWU members will not be paid.
   He said Thomas Hoover, 57, was stricken while on the job Wednesday and died at a hospital. He said the cause of his death is under investigation, but said it did not appear to be a traumatic injury such as being hit by machinery.
   Mike Zampa, a spokesman for the Port of Oakland, said the port is expected to reopen Friday at 7 a.m.