American Airline Pilots Warn of Strike

American Airlines pilots met to draw up new labor demands and warned of possible strike action if the carrier refuses to sweeten a contract deal rejected by union members this week. The 18-member board of directors of the Allied Pilots Assn. began drawing up the list of demands and said they would define strategy today for the next round of talks with the Dallas-based airline’s management. On Wednesday, more than 60% of APA members voted against a tentative labor pact with the airline, which would have given them a 3% wage increase this year and an additional 2% in 1999. The union’s five-member negotiating board, which struck the deal rejected by rank-and-file members, stepped down and a replacement board was being named. The APA’s rejection of the contract effectively put the AMR Corp. airlines’ growth plans on hold.