P.M. BRIEFING : Wage Pact Hikes Average 3.3%

WASHINGTON — Contracts settled through collective bargaining in the first three months of 1990 gave workers average annual wage increases of 3.3% over the life of the pacts, the government reported today.

The last time parties covered by those settlements negotiated, most of them in 1987 or 1988, average wage gains were smaller, averaging 2.2% over the contract term, the Labor Department said.

Part of the gains reflect wage increases where there had been cuts or freezes in previous agreements, such as in the steel industry, the department said.

In addition, wage gains were larger than raises negotiated in previous agreements, particularly in petroleum refining and food stores, the government said.