Eastern Airlines has agreed to restore full wages to its 37,000 employees, at least until Jan. 31 when it hopes to have a new wage program developed. Restoration of the 18 to 22 percent paycheck deductions will cost the airline $22 million for the month of January, but Eastern labor consultant William Usery said at a news conference that lump-sum reimbursements are necessary to restore labor peace with Eastern`s three unions, which have sued the company in U.S. District Court. Eastern agreed to restore the wages if the unions would sign agreements to postpone the three-week-old lawsuits indefinitely. Usery said Eastern and its unions are still negotiating new wage packages, but he declined to give specifics. ”Nothing is ruled out or ruled in,” he said. He said the new labor agreements will be in accordance with a business plan that must be developed by Jan. 31 to satisfy Eastern`s lenders. Charles Bryan, president of District 100 of the International Association of Machinists, said he signed the agreement, thereby delaying the machinists`
lawsuit. The flight attendants and pilots had not yet signed the agreement
–but it was only delivered to them Thursday and they are expected to sign, said Richard McGraw, Eastern spokesman.
