ALPA's Communications Department provides information and support for news media inquiries. An ALPA communications representative can be reached in the Herndon, Va. office at (703) 689-2270.

Release #01.115
October 24, 2001

HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2001 -- Continental Express and its flight instructors, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), today announced that they have reached a tentative contract agreement.

The tentative agreement, which marks the first labor contract for Continental Express instructors, was accomplished with the assistance of the National Mediation Board and federal mediator Fred Lief, who facilitated the parties’ interest-based bargaining approach to negotiations.

Instructors began negotiations with the company on May 14, 2001. While an agreement in principle was reached Sept. 8, the parties postponed announcement of the tentative agreement in light of the tragic events of Sept. 11.

Flight instructor negotiators Dennis Averill and Carl Kemper expressed satisfaction with the completion of the tentative agreement. Averill said, "We achieved our goal of addressing issues for instructors that needed immediate attention, as well as codifying a first contract that will serve as a ‘bridge’ to more comprehensive negotiations next year." Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Jim Nides, Vice President of Flight Operations at Continental Express, said, "We worked hard to reach an agreement with our instructors by the target date we originally set. I was proud to work with Carl and Dennis to achieve a meaningful bridge to our pilot contract in such a short period of time."

The union’s elected leadership, the Continental Master Executive Council (MEC) was briefed on terms of the agreement and has approved forwarding the contract to members for ratification. If passed, the flight instructors contract will be the second labor agreement attained since the pilots of Continental and Continental Express selected ALPA as their bargaining representative earlier in the year.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilots union, representing more than 66,000 crewmembers at 47 airlines in the U.S. and Canada, including the 100 flight instructors at Continental Express. Visit the ALPA Website at http://cf.alpa.org.

Continental Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines, employs more than 5,000 people. Continental Express offers nearly 900 daily departures to more than 100 cities from its Houston, New York/Newark and Cleveland hubs with Embraer and ATR aircraft. Continental Express provides service between the U.S., Canada and Mexico and offers advance seat assignments and OnePass frequent flyer miles, which can be redeemed anywhere in the world Continental and its alliance carriers fly. Continental Express is operated by ExpressJet Airlines, Inc.

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Continental Contact: Corporate Communications

713.324.5080

ALPA contact: Jim Moody

281.987.3636