Caterpillar, Union Extend Pact 6 Days

Caterpillar Inc. and United Auto Worker officials agreed early today to a six-day extension of their contract involving 17,000 workers when hundreds of employees prematurely walked off their jobs after the midnight deadline.

“In the interest of reaching an agreement for a strike-free situation, the parties have agreed to an extension on negotiations until 11:59 p.m. July 3,” a company spokesman said.

Published reports on Thursday said that among unresolved issues was the length of the contract. The UAW sought a two-year contract while the company wanted a 40-month agreement, the reports said.

The UAW contract negotiations with Caterpillar, a manufacturer of heavy-construction equipment, cover workers in Iowa, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Illinois.