Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup issued the following statement after last night’s announcement by federal mediators that they will assist in West Coast port contract talks, following a joint request from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the private terminal operators, the Pacific Maritime Association: “We congratulate the ILWU and PMA for both agreeing to mediation. We urgently need a resolution to their long contract negotiations so they can join all of our industry stakeholders in restoring and improving productivity at all West Coast ports.”