POLAR AIR CARGO PILOTS AUTHORIZE STRIKE

   Pilots at California-based Polar Air Cargo have authorized their union
representatives to strike the carrier if contract negotiations do not
result in an agreement.
   A "cooling off" period instituted by federal mediators expires Oct. 2,
freeing the Polar pilots to pursue self-help measures. More than 98 percent of the pilots voted to authorize a strike.
   Polar began negotiating a contract with its air crews in 1997. Key
disagreements exist over the airline’s lack of a pension plan and what the
pilots say is the need for better scheduling practices.
   ALPA allotted $2 million to Polar crew members in July "in order to
provide a war chest."
   A strike would be devastating for Polar, which desperately needs to
upgrade an aging fleet of early version B747 freighters. The airline
suffered heavy financial losses during the Asian financial crisis.