The Nation : United-Pilot Talks Urged

The National Mediation Board called on United Airlines and its 5,000 striking pilots to resume negotiations Thursday in an effort to settle the pilots’ 20-day-old strike. The pilots’ union, which last week independently asked the airline to reopen talks, quickly accepted. But United--which has refused to negotiate until the pilots drop issues that their union considers critical--has not responded to the board’s request. The key economic issue--United’s proposed “two-tier” salary plan to reduce wages of newly hired pilots--was resolved on May 24. But negotiations were broken off in a disagreement over terms of a “back-to-work” agreement.