Continental flight attendants ratify contract

CHICAGO — Flight attendants at Continental Airlines have ratified a new union agreement with the company.

The deal only covers Continental, a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc. The company is merging United and Continental airlines, and it still needs a joint agreement to cover all flight attendants.

First, though, flight attendants will need to pick a union. Continental flight attendants are covered by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Their colleagues at United are in the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Eventually they'll vote to pick one or the other.

The IAM says 68 percent of those voting approved the contract. Continental has roughly 9,300 flight attendants.