Strikebound TWA Reduces Fares; No Talks Set

The flight attendants’ union on strike against Trans World Airlines said Sunday it was waiting for the company to return to the bargaining table, while the airline cut fares up to 30% in an effort to keep its customers.

The union said none of the machinists who maintain TWA’s airplanes are crossing picket lines, but the company disputed that claim and said supervisors are helping keep aircraft in shape.

The nation’s sixth-largest carrier called off half of its flights when the 6,000-member Independent Federation of Flight Attendants went on strike Friday, but added some flights Sunday.

“We have made the management and the federal mediating team aware that our negotiating committee is available to meet with them when they wish,” union spokesman John Crouthamel said Sunday in Kansas City.

He said the offer to resume talks was made Saturday but that the airline had not replied.

TWA on Sunday cut fares 30% for flights leaving from U.S. airports by March 27, and 20% for flights between March 28 and the end of the year. The tickets must be bought by March 27 to qualify for either discount.

The airline also offered 1,000 bonus miles for each flight flown during the strike by passengers in its frequent-flier program, and said it was providing free headphones and refreshments on flights.

“Basically we want to let our passengers know that we are flying,” TWA spokesman Larry Hilliard said.

Counting on Support

The flight attendants struck over demands for wage and benefits concessions by TWA, which reported a loss of $193.1 million last year.

TWA won concessions earlier this year from its 5,000 pilots, who signed a no-strike contract and gave up 34% of their wages and benefits.

But the attendants are counting on support from TWA’s 10,000 members of the International Assn. of Machinists, who gave up 15% of their wages and benefits in their contract.

Crouthamel and union spokeswoman Barbara Steffen in New York City said 100% of the machinists have honored picket lines across the TWA system.

Jerry Nichols, TWA’s senior vice president for ground operations, said 93% of the machinists crossed the picket lines on West Coast bases Saturday and 87% crossed lines in the East.

And a TWA spokeswoman said that about half of the flights normally offered on TWA’s schedule were operating.

“TWA’s flights operating today (Sunday) are going to be much the same as they were yesterday,” said spokeswoman Sally McElwreath. “And that is approximately 330 flights representing something like 50% to 52% of our normal schedule. This is about what we had planned as a strike schedule.”