▁Eastern ' s ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁the ▁Miami ▁area ▁decre ased ▁as ▁the ▁city ▁became ▁a ▁fin ance ▁and ▁trade ▁center ▁and ▁experienced ▁population ▁increase - based ▁economic ▁growth , ▁instead ▁of ▁a ▁purely ▁tour ism - based ▁growth . ▁ ▁During ▁Lorenzo ' s ▁ten ure , ▁Eastern ▁was ▁cri pp led ▁by ▁severe ▁labor ▁un rest . ▁Ask ed ▁to ▁accept ▁deep ▁cut s ▁in ▁pay ▁and ▁benefits , ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Lorenzo ▁locked ▁out ▁Eastern ' s ▁mechan ics ▁and ▁r amp ▁service ▁employees , ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁International ▁Association ▁of ▁Mach in ists ▁and ▁A eros pace ▁Work ers ▁( I AM ). ▁Conc ern ed ▁that ▁Lorenzo ' s ▁successful ▁breaking ▁of ▁the ▁I AM ▁would ▁do ▁the ▁same ▁to ▁the ▁pil ots ' ▁and ▁flight ▁attend ants ' ▁un ions , ▁the ▁pil ots ▁represented ▁by ▁Air ▁Line ▁Pil ots ▁Association ▁( AL PA ) ▁and ▁flight ▁attend ants ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁Transport ▁Work ers ▁Union ▁( TW U ) ▁called ▁a ▁sympathy ▁strike , ▁which ▁effectively ▁shut ▁down ▁the ▁air line ' s ▁domestic ▁operations . ▁Non - cont ract ▁employees , ▁including ▁air port ▁gate ▁and ▁ticket ▁counter ▁agents ▁and ▁res ervation ▁sales ▁agents , ▁could ▁not ▁honor ▁the ▁strike . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁lock out ▁and ▁sympathy ▁strike , ▁cancel led ▁fl ights ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁millions ▁of ▁dollars ▁in ▁re venue . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Lorenzo ▁sold