WASHINGTON, D.C. -- TMI announced today the completion of Article 20 preliminary discussions with the Teamsters Union and the start of formal National Master Freight Agreement (NMFA) contract negotiations within the next few weeks.

TMI is a division of the Motor Freight Carriers Association (MFCA) and represents authorized companies in the NMFA negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).

``The just-completed Article 20 negotiations were useful in helping both management and labor to prepare for Less Than Truckload contract negotiations,'' said Arthur H. Bunte, Jr., chief negotiator and head of TMI. ``It is the objective of both sides to reach a new agreement before the expiration of our current contract and without a work stoppage.''

The Teamsters negotiating committee is made up of elected officials from local unions across the country. They are not subject to the various election challenges and procedures and are prepared to negotiate a new NMFA contract. The TMI negotiating team will be made up of representatives from the six member companies.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires March 31, 1998.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., MFCA is the national trade association representing unionized carriers on public policy and economic issues affecting the industry. Its TMI Division represents six authorized companies in the NMFA negotiations with IBT. Employing some 75 percent of the Teamsters covered by the NMFA, these carriers serve 1.4 million customers in all 50 states and transport 261 million tons of freight over 2 billion miles each year.

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