Continental Air Flies Lean and Mean Page 2 <http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/thestreet.com/markets;kval=rosssnel;' + rsistring + 'abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;ord=1112365566732?> On Wednesday, it wasn't clear whether one union's rejection of its new contract would scuttle all of the union agreements that were up for ratification. Continental had warned in regulatory filings that each agreement could be contingent upon the others. And the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents about 4,125 Continental pilots, had warned in firm language Wednesday that even though its members had approved their agreement, it had the right to pull out of the contract. "This pilot group has a record of leadership at Continental and again has stepped up to help the company survive by accepting concessions of $213 million annually," ALPA said in a news release. "However, any concessions from this pilot group have always been based on the condition that all employee groups share in the cost cuts." Later, however, ALPA decided to go ahead with its concessions, even though it had received word the flight attendants had likely voted against their agreement. An ALPA spokesman declined to say why union leaders had not insisted on all groups agreeing to savings. But ALPA leaders may have decided it wasn't worth risking even greater concessions down the road. Continental had warned that if unions didn't approve the current round of concessions, it would be forced to resort to even harsher cost-cutting, including raising its overall labor savings target from $500 million to $800 million. A spokesman for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents Continental's 3,475 mechanics, said the union went ahead with concessions to help save the company and protect mechanics' jobs. "It's a tough choice and a difficult situation," he said, adding that the union hoped Continental would in the future reward workers for showing faith in the company. The airline had also threatened to cancel or defer airplane orders, but now says a key order with Boeing ( <http://tools.thestreet.com/tsc/quotes.html?pg=qcn&symb=BA> BA:NYSE - <http://find.thestreet.com/cgi-bin/texis/find/results.html?tkr=BA> news - <http://thestreet.investor.reuters.com/reports.aspx?ticker=BA> research) -- to lease eight 757-300 jets and take early delivery of six Boeing 737-800s -- is on track. Continental also expects to follow through with the acquisition of 10 next-generation 787 Dreamliners from Boeing in 2009. Donofrio at Fulcrum Partners said the three unions' decision to go ahead with concessions are a "positive testament" to employee relations at the airline and shows the unions' realization that labor savings are necessary for the airline in the industry's tough environment.