Caterpillar, Union Gear Up For New Talks

Talks between Caterpillar Inc. and union officials recessed after less than 30 minutes Tuesday so federal mediators could work out negotiating procedures to end a seven-month strike.

“We have no rabbits to pull out of a hat,” cautioned John Calhoun Wells, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

The talks are aimed at ending the longest strike at the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of heavy earthmoving equipment. The strike involves 13,300 workers at eight plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Colorado.