Hawaiian Air, machinists seek contract mediation

Hawaiian Airlines and one of its major unions, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, have jointly asked the National Mediation Board to step in and help them reach agreement on a new contract.

The IAM represents some 1,600 employees at Hawaiian whose contract became open for changes on March 1, 2000.

Hawaiian earlier reached agreement on 42-month contracts with the Airline Pilots Association, representing its 425 pilots, and the Association of Flight Attendants, the union for some 900 cabin crew members.

The airline is in negotiations with two unions representing much smaller employee groups, the Transport Workers Union and the Communications Section Employees Union.

Alcatel, Lucent announce end to merger talks

Murray Hill, N.J. >> Lucent Technologies Inc., the No. 1 U.S. maker of phone equipment, said talks to merge with France's Alcatel SA have ended and declined further comment.

The discussions didn't result in any agreement between the companies, Lucent said in a statement.

Shares of the Murray Hill, N.J.-based company fell $1.08 to $8.32 today, and rose as high as $8.70 after the announcement following the end of regular U.S. trading.

Alcatel's American depositary shares, each representing one ordinary share, fell 70 cents to $27.41, and rose as high as $29.52 after the announcement.

In Paris, Alcatel's shares fell 95 euros (81 cents) to 30.85 euros.

In other news . . .

TOKYO >> Isuzu Motors, a Japanese automaker affiliated with General Motors Corp., reported a second straight year of losses and announced yesterday it would cut a quarter of its global work force. Isuzu, 48 percent owned by General Motors, said it would trim 9,700 jobs by 2004, close a truck plant in Kawasaki near Tokyo by 2005 and sell its headquarters building in Tokyo to raise cash. The job cuts make up about 25.5 percent of Isuzu's 38,000 global work force.