Eastern, Machinists Issued Injunctions

MIAMI —  With a strike deadline looming, a federal judge issued injunctions Friday against Eastern Airlines and the Machinists union to resolve a maintenance dispute that the carrier said has grounded 17 jetliners.

Senior U.S. District Judge C. Clyde Atkins ruled that the union must work on 12 grounded aircraft and members must work overtime if required by the carrier “with no slowdowns and no sickouts.”

He also said work already begun on five aircraft by outside contractors hired by Eastern will be allowed to continue, but Eastern has been barred from farming out any more such work during a 30-day cooling-off period in their stalled contract talks.

If no agreement is reached by midnight March 3, Eastern is free to impose its own work rules and the 8,500-member union representing Eastern machinists, baggage handlers and other ground crews is free to strike.