Mediator Meets With Airline: A federal mediator...

Mediator Meets With Airline: A federal mediator began meeting with representatives of Eastern Airlines and the Machinists union in a last-ditch effort to reach a settlement before a 30-day cooling-off period expires. The airline rejected the National Mediation Board’s offer of binding arbitration to end the 16-month dispute. That rejection triggered the 30-day period, after which the union will be free to strike and the airline free to impose its disputed terms on workers. In a related development, Eastern’s pilots said they would cross Machinists union picket lines if there’s a strike next month, provided the troubled carrier’s owner grants them concessions in their own contract.