Strike Failure?

When 33,000 workers struck North American Aviation, Inc. about five weeks ago, planemakers expected that the final settlement would be a pattern for the industry. But the pattern that came clear last week was a big surprise; the C.I.O. United Auto Workers was losing a major strike.

Lines of pickets still shuffled by the gates of plants in Los Angeles, Fresno, Calif, and Columbus, Ohio. But the strikers were going back to work in growing numbers, despite the attempts of pickets to knock or kick dents in their cars. North American reported that 10,332 of the men were back on the job again, turning out better than one plane a day. This was about 31% of those who had walked out, well above the 25% figure that usually means a lost strike. The U.A.W. disputed North American's tally, said the company padded the list by hiring 500 strikebreakers. But even the toughest union man admitted that the strike was going badly, largely for two reasons: 1) the union had picked a poor time with Christmas coming up, and 2) it had neglected to take a secret ballot which might have shown the lack of enthusiasm.

Striker Edwin A. Gramm, a machinist working on F-86Fs, who, though not a union member, stayed out for three weeks before going back, summed up the strikers' troubles. "Things got too tough for me," said he. "My car insurance came due. That's $120. The taxes on my house came due. That's $140. I've got a boy in junior high, and he was yelling for gym clothes." When Gramm went back, North American gave him its offered pay boost of 8-c- an hour, plus living-cost bonus of 2-c- (the union had asked for an average hourly increase of 26-c-, plus other benefits), jumping his hourly wage to $1.97. Said Gramm: "That's as much as anybody in this area is making. Maybe it ain't like the automobile boys, but it's still good around here."

The effect on the industry is already beginning to show. Douglas' El Segundo plant, represented by the A.F.L. International Association of Machinists, voted to accept the company's offer of 5-c- an hour. Contracts at the company's Santa Monica plant and at Lockheed have also expired. The unions there, also I.A.M., have rejected company offers, but so far have voted down a strike and are still going to work under the terms of the old contracts. At week's end, North American planned a meeting with union negotiators, thought the strike would probably be over soon, and on company terms. But the U.A.W., with a pay pattern for the whole industry at stake, may fight on to the bitter end.

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