Remarks With the Secretary of Labor at the Signing of Contracts Between Trans World Airlines and the Pilots and Flight Engineers Unions

SECRETARY OF LABOR W. WILLARD WIRTZ. Mr. President, this brings to a conclusion one of the finest examples of constructive collective bargaining it has been my experience to be associated with.

This has been a very difficult situation and it is completed now between the flight engineers and the company and the pilots. What it means is that we have worked out the problem of a constructive use of manpower and technological power in the cockpits and it shows what private collective bargaining can do.

We helped out along the line, but it was finally signed by the parties of their own voluntary act. We think it is a major accomplishment in collective bargaining.

THE PRESIDENT. I just want to say, because it dealt with a very sharp problem of the technological changes affecting the livelihood of a good many hundreds of people, which is a difficult matter to adjust satisfactorily, and was begun by long months of collective bargaining, and also by recognition by the few parties involved, particularly the pilots and flight engineers, some adjustment was necessary by each.

We are glad this was settled in the case of this company and we hope that this pattern of industry will also serve as an encouragement to other industries facing the same problem of technological change. We hope that this will serve them in the future.

Thank you.