Lorenzo is gone, but strikebreaking isn't

Scan page 14

Frank Lorenzo is out at Eastern Airlines. On April The unity of the three Eastern unions, particularly 18, Federal bankruptcy court Judge Burton Lifland during the first several months of the strike, surprised appointed a trustee to run Eastern Airlines. Lorenzo is Lorenzo. He had few pilots to fly his planes. For chairman of Texas Air, which owns Eastern. The air- several months he had less than 10 percent of Eastern line filed for bankruptcy reorganization in March flying. The anti-union business traveler eventually abandoned Eastern. (Ironically, the passenger load Judge Lifland told Lorenzo he was "not competent factor at Eastern in 1990 is one of the highest in the to reorganize this estate." Lifland appointed former industry-over 65 percent. Yet most of these pasContinental Airlines president Martin Shugrue as sengers are buying low-cost, tickets that barely cover trustee. Continental is also a subsidiary of Texas Air.

The International Association of Machinists (IAM) Unfortunately for the strikers, the top labor leaders on strike at Eastern since March 4, 1989, hailed gave little more than lip service during this crucial Lifland's decision, but said the union would stay on period of the strike. The workers at other airlines were not mobilized to back the strike. Officials of Less than 5 percent of IAM members have crossed concerned unions followed court injunctions to the letter of the law. The main tactic of the strike became the boycott-keeping passengers off the planes.

The IAM and AFL-CIO officials have also drawn a lesson—but one that is incorrect-from the strike. To avoid future Easterns, they now urge workers to look at ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) as the method to "save our jobs." At United Airlines, for example, the IAM, pilots and flight attendant unions have formed an ESOP to try and buy the company.

Nevertheless, the brutal competition in the airline industry-combined with the determination of the strikers—prevented Lorenzo from turning Eastern into What comes next? The IAM is seeking to negotiate a return to work for its members. The trustee is talking to them. But he is unlikely to replace any of the 18,000 mostly non-union Eastern employees to bring Lorenzo is gone at Eastern. But his departure is not a turning point for labor. The other airline bosses continue to press for concessions. And the labor offiWhile working people should applaud the downfall of a hated union-buster, we must begin to learn the key lesson of the Eastern strike: unity by labor is the starting point in any conflict with the bosses; victory, however, is only possible when working people shut down the struck company tight and force the 1989. strike until a new contract was negotiated.

Eastern's costs.) [See story on page 15.] another Continental.

back IAM strikers. worse. billion, I 11 year for $8 Tel.

308, Detroit P.O. Box 32546 Detroit, MI 48232 Los Angeles P.O. Box 60605 Terminal Annex Los Angeles, CA 90060 213) 660-2891 Minneapolis P.O. Box 14087 Dinkeytown Stati Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 430-1476 For information about other areas, contact the national office of Socialist Action at (415) 821-0458. cials continue to play ball with them.

employer to the bargaining table. but when management can still fire the president of the workers' union-and then just for speaking