Evening star., 1946-11-15
TWAStrikeEnds;
Flights Are Set
For Tomorrow
Agreement Reached
To Submit Dispute
To Arbitration
BY The Assoeiussd Press

by The Assoeiussd Press
The Trans World Airline pilots
strike-the Nations first major
.walkout OF commercial flyers
ended today with an agreement
to submit the dispute over pay
and working rules to arbitration.
Paul z. Richter, executive vice
president Of TWA. and David L.
Behncke Of the AFL Pilots Union
signed the agreement at SIP am. in
the office Of Frank p. Douglass,
chairman Of the National Mediation
Board. Nearly nine hours of con-
tinuous conferences over the final
wording preceded the signing.
TWA said 1t expects to put its
first planes into the air about z am.
tomorrow, with transcontinental
flights starting from both coasts.
Strike Grounded lis Planes.
The walkout of approximately 1000
pilots began October 81 over de-
mands for higher pay for pilots and
co-pilots Of four engine planes. It
grounded lis aircraft along most of
the company's $4,000 miles Of route
on three continents, threw nearly
Ii, 600 non-fying employees out Of
work and cut of $4,000, 600 in weekly
revenue to the company.
While flights viii resume tomor-
row, at least two weeks will be re-
quired to restore the lines full
schedule.
The agreement signed this morn
ing ends the strike by leaving to tho
decision of a three-man panel a
number of disputed points. Most
important Of these are the rates
OF pay for pilots and co-pilots on
Douglas Skymasters and Lockheed
Consultations flying domestic and
international routes, the question
OF a minimum monthly pay for
pilots in the international service,
the question Of flight time limitation
for pilots in the international serv-
ice and whether there should be q
new bidding procedure for runs.
The pilots originally began seek
ing new pay scales and working
rules for flying four-engine equip
ment more than year ago.
Their demands ranged as high as
$15,500 q year compared with the
icompany's estimate Of $4,000 q
year for top-paid pilots at present.
Hearings Start Next Month.
The company and the union each
VIII name one member of the arbi-
tration board today. II they do not
agree on a neutral member by to-
morrow, the National Mediation
Board viii select him. The hearing,
with a time limitation of 10 days
from its start until an award is
made, must begin in Chicago not
earlier than December 10 nor later
than December 23.
Jack Frye, TwA president, issued
q statement saying .T'he strike has
hurt TWA to an extent we cannot
Immediately determine"
He added that because of the "seri-
Gus financial loss" due to the 26-day
shutdown, there was a strong like
lihood that it will be impossible for
us TO return all personnel to their
jobs"
Gradual Re-Employment.
(TwA officials were unable to
estimate how many OF the more
than TOO Washington service en-
ployes laid of could be returned
to work.
employees in reservations, tick
cts and maintenance departments
were being recalled to their jobs
today on gradual re-employ-
ment schedule to continue as
rapidly as operations can be got
under way, it was said. -
(TWA already has Cancelled
advance orders for new opera
tional equipment, and 1t is too
early, company officials said, to
estimate the effect on local plans
for expansion of service in Wash
ington as the point of origin for
important overseas routes.
The arbitration agreement pro-
vides that the strike end immedi-
ately and that the company strive
to have both its domestic and inter-
national divisions operating normal
ly by December /.
The company said it viii begin
accepting reservations Immediately.
Mr.. Behncke pledged that the
pilots utmost cooperation" in get
ting operations back to normal
quickly. He added In statement
that pilots were advised by tele-
graph to report at once to company
operating officials and make them
selves available for duty