Evening star., 1961-02-21
AlRLINES
Continued From First Page

COmtlnue0 from FIST rage
strike reported q flood Of re-
quests for reservations.
Among the major airlines not
struck are United, Delta, Bran
If, Capital. Northeast and
Continental.
The six struck airlineS al
ready have laid off more than
81 900 Of their workers because
Of the curtained service.
The walkout was being felt
not only by the airlines but also
by the communities they serve
Especially hard hit were Carib-
bean and Florida resort areas.
Miami estimated its daily losses
at So million.
Airline executives indicated
that total cessation of flights
by the struck airlines might
force the hand Of the Govern
ment in its attempts to md the
Snarl.
The engineers are protesting
o February 6 decision Of the
National Mediation Board or.
dering their union and the Air
Line Pilots Association at
United Airlines to vote for q
single union as bargaining
agent for both.
End OF Union Feared
Pilots are In the majority and
the engineers say they fear the
ruling might mean eventual
death for their own union. The
engineers have asked for a |
congressional investigation Of
the mediation boards decision.
All Of United's engineers ere
pilot-trained and some belong
to both unions. This Is not true
Of the other airlines.
Francis J. o,Neill. Jr., chair
man Of the National Mediation
Board, conferred yesterday with
Labor Secretary Goldberg and
later explained that the United
case is not necessarily binding
on the rest Of the airlines.
Each case. If sent to mediation,
will be Judged on the basis of
fact, he said.
In Chicago, Clarence N.
Sayen, president Of the pilots
union, said the engineers need
not worry that the mediation
boards decision requires flight
engineers to be members of the
pilots association.
Mr.. Sayen said statements to
the contrary were completely
untrue and irresponsible"
The engineers union has
ordered its members back to
work but there has been no
hint of compliance.
Suits Are Filed
In Los Angeles, Kansas City
and New York, various struck
airlines sought contempt cita-
tons and filed multi-million-
dollar damage suits against the
engineers union. Trans World
Airlines asked $3.5 million in
q single suit at Kansas City.
In Houston, Capt. Eddie
Rickenbacker, chairman Of the
board Of Eastern Airlines. said
the decision to stop Eastern'S
operations was made because
Of threats to supervisory per-
sonnel operating some planes.
They were threatened and
intimldated and were worried
about their families" he said.
Supervisory personnel were
used by the airlines in place
Of flight engineers after the
strike began last Friday night.
Engineers are required on all
four-engine planes and jets.
Spokesman for the striking
engineers in the New York
area spread word among their
members that they could ex-
pect support from engineers Of
foreign lines.
It was reported that the
Spokesmen implied that engi-
neers might refuse to man air.
craft Of Air France, the British
Overseas Airways Corp. and
kim Dutch Airlines.
However, spokesmen for these
airlines in New York indicated
their operations would con-
tinue normal.
But the British Airline Off
GERS Association announced 1t
had instructed its members not
to work any extra flights on