Machinists likley to reject Eastern Airlines contract

Machinists union leaders predict a contract offered by Eastern Airlines will be rejected by a rank-and-file vote March 18. A strike that threatened to disrupt the airline's flight operations was averted by a tentative last-minute agreement.

Eastern offered its 13,500 machinists a 29 percent wage increase over three years, but the pay hike would not be retroactive. The old contract expired Jan. 1, 1982.