Evening star., 1947-01-19
Airlines Favor
Overall Pact
Industry.Wide Bargaining
Based on Uniformity
of Problems
b. James J. Srebig

DJ James y. OTeOfg
The airlines are trying to fly .
new course in management-labor
relations. They are taking the lead
in establishing a common bargain
ing system.
There have been only four strikes
against the airlines. Three of them
involved mechanics. The other was
the costly 26-day walkout of Trans
World Airline pilots last fall.
Historically, unions, rather than
management, have sought industry
wide bargaining. But 18 companies
created the Airlines Negotiating
Conference (ANC) and invited the
unions to deal with it either for
individual contracts or on an in
dustry basis.
The program has not been .
roaring success as far as the Air
line Pilots Association (ALPA),
headed by David L. Behncke, is
concerned. Mr.. Behncke said the
TWA strike was called as the only
way to avoid dealing with the con-
ference (then known as the COM
mittee) and denounced it as .
'monopolistic" and illegal setup."
Two other unions, however the
International Association of Machin-
lists independently and the United
Automobile Workers (CIO-have
come forward to explore the pros
poets of industry wide agreements.
There is hope that Behncke also
may get around to that If, as seems
likely, the Civil Aeronautics Board
CAB approves the interline agree
ment.
Deals With Fl Unions.
ANC officials say that its primary
objective is not industry-wide con-
tracts, but rather to represent the
industry in whatever form of con-
tract the unions seek. In this it
serves as the expert staff for in
dividual companies in dealing with
81 unions which have contracts
covering majority of the $4,000
employees of certificated air carriers.
The original approach OF the con-
ference, when 13 airlines organized
it in Decemmer, 1945, was to seek
an industry-wide contract for pilots
assigned to ur-engina planes.
ALPA baked at that proposal, but
has met with the conference as the
representative of individual carriers.
Two pilot contracts have been COM
pleted In that manner and several
more are in the works.
The CAB gave quick approval to
the airlines group for six-month
period. Formal agreement is pend
ing before the CAB. ALPA an
nounced it's intention to oppose the
pact, but was unable to appear at
the hearing because it was busy pre-
pairing for arbitration of the TWA
dispute.
Although Behncke has insisted on
dealing singly with the airlines, his
contract proposals have varied little.
Uniformity is maintained to some
extent by sending union head
quarters representative to all nego-
tiations.
Pay FOrmulae Complex.
The airlines give these reasons for
their approach to labor contract
negotiations:
l. Their problems are largely uni
form, regardless Of their size or loca-
ton. Some lines, at least, pay identi-
cal scales in all parts of the coun-
try. This contrasts with a manu-
featuring company having widely
scattered plants and localized pay
rates.
2. Airlines extend over large geo.
graphic areas, overlapping consid-
erably, and employees of different
companies work close to each other
so that uniform pay and working
rules are desirable to avoid dissatis-
faction.
3. Many airline employees, par
ticularly pilots, travel from one
region to another, so that differenb
wage scales within a company might
complicate employe relations.
4. Airline pay formulae often are
and require expert study
for computation. Top officials Of
some companies find themselves oc-
cupied much Of the time in such
work or in negotiations.
S. The industry faces many new
situations as a result of higher speed
and larger aircraft. possibility Of
new job classifications and new
duties for flight personnel and new
problems in assigning ground per-
,onnel because of prospect for joint
operation Of terminal facilities.
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