Aloha Airlines pilots last night voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike of the carrier's cargo operations.

No strike date was set. "It means should we need to strike, we will," said John Riddle, a 23-year Aloha pilot and member of the union's master executive committee.

About 150, or half, of Aloha's pilots participated in the three-hour meeting at Honolulu Country Club, Riddle said.

Aloha, which laid off 1,900 workers when it shut down its passenger service last month, is auctioning its cargo division in a deal that is expected to raise $18 million to $20 million. A strike could potentially cripple the company's efforts to sell the cargo division.

The Air Line Pilots Association has alleged that the carrier has violated the terms of pilots' collective bargaining agreement by assigning lower-seniority pilots to fly Aloha's profitable interisland cargo routes.

A junior pilot at Aloha earns a little more than $30,000 a year, while senior pilots make up to $120,000 annually.

The union has said the airline should have furloughed all pilots in order of reverse seniority and those who lost their jobs should have received furlough pay and benefits.

On Monday, the union asked that a federal bankruptcy judge bar any sale of the cargo operations that violates its labor agreement.

The cargo operations, which handle about 85 percent of all air freight between O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands, employ about 40 pilots. About 300 pilots lost their jobs when Aloha exited the passenger services business.

Aloha Airlines has said it will oppose the pilots' request for a restraining order. The company added that it is providing training for senior pilots to requalify them to fly cargo aircraft.

The company went to federal bankruptcy court yesterday to enforce a temporary restraining order that it had filed against workers last month. Aloha, which initially set aside the restraining order while it negotiated with the pilots union over the seniority issues, wants the court to bar employees from striking.