Eastern Asks for Pay Cuts

MIAMI — Eastern Airlines called for pay cuts today in its three-year contract proposal for the International Assn. of Machinists union.

“It is obvious that this company cannot be consistently profitable without a change in the cost structure. That’s the real message here,” said Thomas Matthews, Eastern’s vice president for human resources. Matthews said there was no average amount that wages would be cut under the proposal because the cuts are different for various jobs. But for example, the proposal would pay $10 per hour to a baggage handler earning $16.50 hourly.