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Caterpillar, UAW Resume Contract Negotiations

11 February 1998

Caterpillar, UAW Resume Contract Negotiations

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- Federal Mediation and Conciliation
Service (FMCS) Director John Calhoun Wells is reconvening full negotiation
sessions Thursday with representatives from Caterpillar Inc. and the United
Auto Workers (UAW).
    Wells said, "After useful and constructive discussions between the UAW and
Caterpillar last week and over the weekend, I believe it is time for us to
return to the bargaining table."
    This full negotiating session follows meetings on February 1 and 2 in
Chicago between the Peoria, Illinois-based heavy equipment manufacturer and
the union which represents more than 12,000 workers at Caterpillar facilities
in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Tennessee.  Union and company
negotiators met with Dir. Wells for approximately 12 hours on Sunday,
February 1; met separately Monday morning, February 2; and then returned for a
two-hour joint session with Wells on Monday afternoon.  The parties have
continued frequent discussions by phone since then.
    Wells, who led the federal mediation team in last summer's United Parcel
Service/Teamsters negotiations, has met individually and jointly with
Caterpillar and UAW leaders eight times since last May, and has been in
near-daily telephone contact in recent weeks.

SOURCE  Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service