Informational Picketing Conducted By Teamsters

Mechanics for Continental Airlines engaged in informational picketing at the airline's major hubs in Newark, Cleveland, Orlando, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle Tuesday. The mechanics are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The Teamsters mechanics passed out literature to the flying public explaining the importance of maintenance work and their complaints with Continental.

The Teamsters and Continental management have been bargaining for more than a year to renew the collective bargaining agreement covering more than 3,600 mechanics.

Negotiations stalled when the company held to its initial economic proposal in September. Teamsters mechanics are upset that they have been without a raise for seven years. The company has made permanent pay cuts that were instituted as an emergency cost-saving measure to avoid bankruptcy in 2005.

A federal mediator appointed by the National Mediation Board will oversee negotiations starting in January. If mediated negotiations do not result in an agreement, the NMB may ultimately allow the mechanics to conduct a labor action.

FMI: www.teamster.org