United, Continental pilots say early talks falter

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Jun 25, 6:33 PM EDT

CHICAGO (AP) -- Pilots for United and Continental airlines say they've hit a roadblock in their negotiations with the two companies.

United parent UAL Corp. is aiming to acquire Continental in a deal they hope will close by the end of this year. Pilots have been negotiating a deal with the airlines that would have been a precursor to a full joint contract.

A spokeswoman for the pilots union at Continental Airlines Inc. says the two sides met on Thursday but talks broke off after the meeting, and no new talks are planned. The union says the disagreement was over something that has little financial impact. Neither the union nor the company is saying what exactly the disagreement is about.

United says it is still confident it can reach a joint agreement.