High-Flying Strike

Pickets paraded around the Chicago headquarters of the A.F.L.-C.I.O Air Line Pilots Association last week carrying placards: "Thanks for the Merry Christmas, A.L.P.A." "You've Got $28,000 Now. What More Do You Want?" "A.L.P.A., the Company-Busting Union." The pickets were American Airlines reservations agents protesting the strike by 1,500 pilots of American, the nation's biggest line and the sixth one immobilized by labor strife in 1958.

American's clerks, who will be laid off unless the dispute is settled by Jan. 4, were not the only ones angry because the line was grounded. Letters of protest poured in by the hundreds to the A.L.P.A. from state Governors. U.S. Congressmen, would-be passengers.

Even the gold-plated A.L.P.A. realized that it had been a grave tactical error to strike at Christmas. Both sides admitted that there had been no outstanding issues between American and the pilots. But American pilots have been flying without a contract for 16 months, and so much bad blood and distrust welled up in the dragged-out negotiations that the American pilots decided to strike at any cost. They had little to lose. A.L.P.A. pays pilots up to $650 a month in strike benefits.

"Third Man" Theme. The big issue had been whether the ''third man'' in a jet cockpit should be a pilot or a flight engineer (TIME, May 5). At first, American President C. R. Smith figured that adding a third pilot would be plain featherbedding. Smith changed his mind after American's operations men, who have been studying the line's first Boeing 707 jet in test runs since October, reported that a third pilot is needed, along with an engineer. The plane flies so fast that two pilots should always be at the controls, American decided, requiring a third pilot to take over when one of the other two is taking a break. The third pilot would also handle communications and navigation.

The decision was a major victory for the pilots, who no longer needed to fear that the greater speed and capacity of the jets would bring pilot layoffs or demotions. It did not satisfy the six American pilots who make up the negotiating team, all of them lower-paid junior pilots. When the representative of the parent A.L.P.A. urged the team to accept a settlement, they ordered him to leave the negotiating talks. Just 14 minutes before the strike deadline, they brought in a dozen more demands, including such fringes as private rooms for all pilots during layovers. The talks collapsed. Grumbled one pilot: "Who ever heard of a strike over whether a guy gets a single room while he's on the road? It's ridiculous."

As a tactical move. Smith then withdrew his offer to put a third pilot in the jets. Most executives of other airlines oppose the costly third pilot, but know that they will have to go along with it if American finally agrees. Last week the National Mediation Board suggested a new contract that would lift top jet-pilot pay to $28,340 for 85 hours a month in a jet, up from $19,221 for a top DC-7 captain, plus sweeter benefits. American, losing $1,000,000 a day. immediately accepted. At week's end the truculent pilots had still to be heard from.

Meantime, the nation's No. 3 airline. Eastern, moved a step toward settling its five-week-old walkout, which costs it $1,300,000 a day. Its striking machinists voted to accept a three-year package that brings top pay to $2.95 an hour. Eastern is still negotiating with its engineers, who balk at company orders that they must take pilot training to fly on jets.

"Absolute Chaos." The battle of the airlines raised havoc with holiday traffic. T.W.A., which put on 85 extra sections to carry the Christmas overflow, said its ticket counters at New York's Idlewild Airport were "absolute chaos." United Air Lines flights were booked solidly for ten days in advance. National Airlines was flying 4,000 passengers daily--double its normal load--to and from Miami, some of them in the 707 jet that it has leased from Pan American. National leased eight other planes from such faraway carriers as Hawaiian Airlines, put employees on six-and seven-day weeks. National's President George ("Ted") Baker found the pressure so bad that he took off for three weeks' rest in Switzerland.

Ironically, many seats went empty on planes. Thousands of passengers booked seats on several airlines in hopes of getting on just one. then forgot to cancel. One major line had 600 no-shows in one city. This left space aplenty for stand-by passengers, who had the patience and courage to wait at drafty airports for any space available. Actually, most travelers got where they wanted to go, but many had to wind around circuitous routes on odd carriers, arrived frazzled--and mad.

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