21.   Both sides are meeting in a Washington, D.C., hotel, following a late-night session that failed to produce a compromise.

22.   Both sides later meet in Mexico City to draw up an accord to bring peace to Guatemala.

23.   Both sides met Wednesday in Chicago but were unable to come up with a deal.

24.   But he held off filing until the two sides could meet again Friday morning.

25.   But the two sides have not met for four months, or more than half the length of the strike.

26.   But the two sides never met, as they had pledged just days ago before negotiations collapsed in a fit of acrimony.

27.   But what counted was the mere fact that the sides had met at all.

28.   Byrd and other senators persuaded their House counterparts to fund it when the two sides met last week.

29.   Chairman Bill Gates said Thursday that top Microsoft officals are deeply engaged in the Chicago discussions, in which the two sides are now meeting face to face.

30.   Doug Messier said at the dinner on Wednesday night that he hoped the two sides would meet in person again on Thursday night.