Contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the employers of its members, represented by the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), resume today with the assistance of mediators provided by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Hopes are high among shippers that the mediator will be able to help the two sides reach agreement, or at least keep them talking and ports open when their current contract expires at the end of September. &nb...