Drastic givebacks from USWA at LTV Steel

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Kansas City. But management quickly appealed to a federal court for an injunction against the machinists, and a few hours later IAM members were back at work.

The flight attendants union also does not reject the idea of granting concessions and has offered the company a 15-percent cut. This would amount to about $5000 from each worker in wages and benefits, and an extra 10 hours of flying time per month.

Carl Icahn says that his "reputation" is at stake in this strike, since he spent $600 million to acquire TWA. He says it is very simple—the marketplace will determine how much the flight attendants are worth. Icahn would like to think this is just one more "deal" to be hashed out in figures and dollars.

need solidarity By themselves, the flight attendants face a difficult battle. Icahn has promised scabs permanent positions after the strike, which is a clear indication of his union-busting intention. But things are changing in the airline industry, whose unions have admittedly not been known for respecting each others' picket lines in past strikes.

Flight attendants and pilots from other On March 16, the United Steelworkers of America and LTV Steel Corp. announced a tentative agreement that will be taken back to the membership for a mail vote.

Although this agreement contains serious concessions which will undoubtedly set the pattern for negotiations with other basic steel companies later this year, the USWA International is going on an all-out drive to sell it to steelworkers as a job-saving necessity.

A week before the agreement was approved by LTV local union presidents by a vote of 32-6, the International sent a letter to all steelworkers employed by LTV detailing what would happen to their pensions if LTV were to go bankrupt. The company convinced LTV local union presidents that it will probably file Chapter 11 if this agreement isn't approved.

The agreement eliminates the 45-centsper-hour "raise" due Feb. 1, which would have returned wages to the 1983 level. It provides for an additional $1.14-per-hour average wage cut. Shift differentials (hourly payments for working non-day jobs) are reduced. Cost-of-living payments are eliminated.

Holidays are reduced from 10 to seven. All those entitled to two or more weeks vacation will lose one week; i.e., 10 years seniority will be needed for a two-week vacation.

Major medical deductibles are doubled. Vision care is eliminated. Sickness and accident benefits are reduced. The total cost for each steelworker is estimated at $3.15 per hour. Union negotiators claim a profit- sharing and stock-option plan can return this $3.15 per hour.

To help sell the wage and benefit cuts, contract language has been improved in a number of areas. The contracting-out provision forbids LTV contracting out work which has in the past been done by LTV steelworkers and at times by contractors. Local union presidents say 200 people were returned to work while the negotiations were taking place and this new language should bring more laid-off steelworkers back to work.

Many plants and departments have been shut down for years with the company refusing to declare a permanent shutdown and pay out the benefits this would entail. Under the proposed agreement, employees from those areas will be offered special retirement programs or separation allowance payments.

It is estimated 10,000 steelworkers may benefit from these provisions. Employees from closed departments who've been transferred to other departments receive improved seniority rights under this agreement Although most steelworkers reacted angrily to the proposed cuts, they were relieved that the cuts were not more extensive. They had been prepared to fear the worst by the company's propaganda barrage on its financial condition.

USWA International representatives will be traveling around the country in an effort to promote this agreement, while the company will continue to raise the spector of bankruptcy in an effort to scare workers into a "yes" vote.

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Socialist Action/Joe Ryan /Joe Ryan