Mediated Eastern Air-Union Talks Break Down

Federally mediated talks between Eastern Airlines and its largest union apparently broke off today, the company said.

“I confirm that at this point (negotiations halted),” Eastern spokesman Robin Matell said. “Right now we are assessing what is happening.

“I don’t want to give any positions at this point.”

Machinists District 100 President Charles E. Bryan wasn’t immediately available for comment today, nor were National Mediation Board Chairman Walter Wallace and mediator Harry Bickford, who was joined by Wallace for talks beginning last Friday at the Sheraton Hotel in Key Largo, Fla.

The Eastern-Machinists negotiations went into federal mediation nearly one year ago after direct negotiations stalemated. Wallace joined Bickford in an effort to get the talks moving, but sources speaking on condition of anonymity said there had been virtually no progress during the lengthy weekend sessions.

Cooling-Off Period

Eastern has been pressing for federal declaration of an impasse, which would begin a 30-day cooling-off period. After the 30 days, the union could strike and the company could impose its own work conditions.

Eastern said that only the pressure of a deadline, which the mediators have refused to set, will get the negotiations moving. The union has claimed that Eastern wants to provoke a strike so it can try to break it and bust the union.

Eastern put out a bulletin to its employees Sunday reporting that the Machinists’ lead negotiator had walked out. William Scheri, the national Machinists’ union airline chief negotiator, had participated for the first time in the Eastern mediation last weekend, but left Key Largo on Sunday.

“Mr. Scheri’s sudden departure after the Wallace announcement of ‘no deadline’ for these talks reinforces our previously stated belief that the IAM will not take the talks seriously until the NMB starts the 30-day cooling-off period,” the company bulletin said.

However, the mediators said they had been informed earlier that Scheri planned to participate only through the weekend before returning to Washington headquarters of the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

The two sides, who last met in intense mediation in July, have been about $200 million apart. The Machinists, representing 8,500 mechanics, baggage handlers and other ground service workers, or more than one-fourth of Eastern’s employees, were seeking $50 million for raises.

Eastern was asking $150 million in concessions, mostly from the non-mechanics.