Mediator Meets With Teamsters, Truck Firms

Representatives of the Teamsters and 22 trucking companies held their first meetings with a federal mediator Saturday in an attempt to end a nationwide trucking strike.

“The meetings were constructive,” said Catherine Kaliniak, spokeswoman for Trucking Management Inc., which is representing the companies. “The gaps are still wide between the parties.”

More meetings were scheduled for today, Kaliniak said.

Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich and Transportation Secretary Federico Pena asked the two sides to accept mediation in letters to Teamsters union President Ron Carey and Arthur H. Bunte Jr., president of Trucking Management. Both sides accepted Friday.

About 70,000 Teamster truck drivers and dockworkers struck the carriers on April 6. The two sides have disagreed primarily over the shippers’ use of trains and their hiring of part-time workers.

Both sides returned to the bargaining table in Washington on Monday and continued negotiations throughout the week, but were unable to reach agreement.