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BRIEF: This week area members of the International Association of Machinists local 37 held a picket outside of the Westwood Aviation College on Telephone Road in East Houston. Westwood Aviation College employees voted to have the Machinists union represent them in contract negotiations with the college, but after six months of negotiations little progress is being made on issues like retirement benefits, this according to local Machinist union spokesperson, Todd Rogers. Rogers claims Westwood Aviation College has hired a union busting law firm to discourage workers from continuing with the collective bargaining agreement. The law firm, Jackson Lewis out of Dallas, advocates for Texas businesses that don't want union representation in the work place. Unions have traditionally been discouraged from organizing in Texas because Texas is a right to work state, which means that companies are under no obligation to adhere to union demands. The Machinist Union represents most of the hourly workforce at the Westwood Aviation College. KPFT News will be following this story in the weeks to come. Jackson Allers, KPFT News, Houston. E-mail Jackson Allers at jacksonallers@hotmail.com . This story was broadcast on April 4, 2003.