Release 05.CAL5
March 30, 2005

Continental Pilots Approve New Contract

HOUSTON --- The Continental pilots' Master Executive Council (CAL MEC) has approved the pilots' new concessionary contract following an affirmative membership ratification vote. 

"The pilots' contract contains a clause that allows the pilots to reject it if any other employee group fails to approve a similar concessionary contract," explained Capt. Jay Panarello, chairman of the Continental Master Executive Council (CAL MEC), a unit of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). 

After several hours of deliberation, the CAL MEC voted to accept the pilot contract without waiting for the results of the flight attendants' membership vote. Continental pilots approved the new 45-month contract that provides 

Continental Airlines with $213 million in cost cuts annually by a vote of 2,139 (58.38%) to 1,525 (41.62%),with 92.81 percent of the 3,948 eligible pilots participating. 

CAL MEC represents the 4,200 pilots of Continental Airlines. ALPA is the world's largest pilot union and represents 64,000 airline pilots at 41 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.

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Contact: Jim Moody, 281-987-3636