The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), the management group that negotiates the master contract for dockworkers on the East and Gulf coasts, ended two days of talks Friday by issuing a statement expressing confidence they will reach agreement on a new contract before the current one expires on Sept. 30. At the conclusion of an initial "wage scale" meeting in Tampa, Fla., ILA President Harold J. Daggett and James A. Ca...