Flight Attendant News

Continental Airlines has announced in a press release that talks with its flight attendants had adjourned without an agreement being reached.

The chairman of the National Mediation Board (NMB) joined the talks on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The issues have been narrowed to a few remaining items.

A final bargaining session has been scheduled for Dec. 7 and 8 in the offices of the NMB in Washington, D.C. If no agreement is reached on those dates, the NMB has stated that it will consider releasing the parties from mediation into a 30-day cooling off period. At the end of that period, the company would be able to implement needed wage and benefit reductions, and the flight attendants would be able to strike.

Continental's flight attendants are represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers(IAM). The union issued a similar announcement.