Eastern Cuts Back Nearly All Flights

Strike-crippled Eastern Airlines shut down nearly all operations yesterday and idled more than 5000 workers, saying it could not afford to maintain its business because pilots were honoring a three-day-old Machinists walkout.

"We cannot run an airline with unpredictability," Eastern spokesperson Robin Matell said in Miami. "We cannot continue to inconvenience passengers. We cannot afford the steady financial drain."

Matell said Eastern would continue to run only its most profitable routes-its Northeast shuttle service between Washington, New York and Boston and three round trips weekly between Miami, Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile.

Earlier yesterday, Eastern asked a federal judge in Miami to order members of the Air Lines Pilots Association (ALPA) to return to work. The ALPA, meanwhile, announced plans for a job action starting this morning that could delay every flight on every airline in the nation.

Eastern had canceled almost all flights yesterday, but had supervisors haul baggage and de-ice planes to keep its Northeast shuttle flying some of its scheduled trips despite a snowstorm. Pan American World Airways doubled its Northeast shuttle service to take advantage of Eastern's troubles.

Eastern pilots have honored a strike by 8500 mechanics and ramp service workers that began Saturday after a 17-month labor dispute. The strike has grounded most flights, stranded thousands of passengers and pushed the nation's seventh-largest airline to the brink of collapse.

"You can't fly without pilots," Matell said. "Obviously, an operation of this type drains the cash very quickly. It's an hour-to-hour evaluation for all aspects of the operation."

He said the 5000 to 6000 idled employees were being notified immediately of their "no-work" status and would receive lump-sum payments ranging from $270 to $640, depending on their normal wages. The laid-off workers include ticket and reservations agents, secretaries and other clerical workers, customer service workers and some management employees.

The layoffs leave Eastern with about 7000 active workers, down from 31,200 before the strike.

Matell said Eastern would file for bankruptcy only as a last resort but indicated the pilots' walkout may force the airline to consider the option.

"The pilots are conducting their own economic strike against the company," Matell said. "We believe that it is an illegal weapon to gain ALPA's economic objectives."

"We're not the ones who sought the strike," said John J. Bavis, head of the Eastern pilots union. "This is a strike that Mr. Lorenzo called."

He was referring to Frank Lorenzo, chairman of Eastern's parent Texas Air Corp., whose anti-union reputation has galvanized Eastern's union employees.

Bavis said he was available for negotiations, adding that the company should submit the Machinists dispute to expedited arbitration. The pilots union is also seeking congressional action if President Bush continues to refuse to intervene.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, when Eastern announced its cutbacks, 48 flights had taken off, 20 of them on the Northeast shuttle, the airline said.

After a meeting with attorneys for both sides, U.S. District Judge Edward B. Davis told the pilots' attorneys to submit arguments by 11 a.m. today, to be followed by a 2 p.m. hearing.

"The future of Eastern Airlines rests in this court," Eastern attorney David Ross said. "If the pilots are not prevented from carrying out this strike, Eastern cannot continue."

Pilots' attorney James Linsey called Eastern's actions "a frivolous suit."