Negotiators returned to the bargaining table Monday as a strike that has crippled operations at the nation's largest port complex entered its seventh day.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa demanded that both sides meet nonstop until they reach an agreement.

"It seems like progress is being made," union spokesman Craig Merrilees said after negotiations resumed. "It's not quick and it's not easy, but there is some progress."

Management spokesman Steve Getzug was less optimistic, saying union negotiators were resisting proposed changes in future hiring practices that he said would give shippers the ability to avoid hiring unneeded employees. It's a practice management dismisses as featherbedding.

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