B&M Strike Ends

BOSTON--Negotiators for the Boston & Maine (B&M) Railroad and striking maintenance workers yesterday settled a four-day wildcat strike. Both sides refused to comment on details of the settlement.

Lawyers from both sides met yesterday morning with U.S. District Judge Tya Zobel. Zobel had issued a temporary restraining order against the walkout on Saturday and Monday, but strikers defied the orders.

The strike began after the B&M hired a non-union contractor to repair a boiler at the railroad's offices in North Billerica, Gloria Stone, a B&M spokesman, said yesterday.

The walkout by 546 maintenance workers left 16,000 Boston area commuters looking for other means to travel and affected freight shipments to northern New England cities.