Pilots Back Money for Eastern Strikers

Members of the Air Line Pilots Assn. voted to continue a special dues assessment that gives financial support to workers in the eight-month Eastern Airlines strike, the pilots union announced Tuesday.

A vote against the special assessment would have effectively forced the union to pull down its picket lines in surrender to Eastern and its chairman, Frank Lorenzo.

Pilots at other airlines are being assessed 3% of their gross pay to a special fund that has allowed Eastern pilots to collect an average of $2,400-a-month in strike benefits.

In announcing the vote, ALPA said “the reaffirmation means the continuation of extraordinary strike benefits for Eastern pilots and the special membership assessments to fund the benefits.”

The balloting of the 40,000 ALPA members was conducted last month by mail amid reports that contributions to the fund were declining.