Tentative Contract Reached at American

American Airlines and the Transport Workers Union said Sunday that they have reached a tentative agreement on new six-year labor deals, including a three-year wage freeze.

The contracts cover mechanics, fleet service clerks, dispatchers, meteorologists, stock clerks, flight instructors, flight simulation technicians and guards--a total of almost 27,000 employees.

The airline and the union said the pact includes a three-year freeze in wage increases, with a 3.5% increase in August, 1998, and a 3% increase in February, 2000.

The two sides said the contracts would allow the airline to be more competitive while also addressing employee concerns about wages, benefits and job security.

The agreement includes job and pay protections for employees covered by the TWU contracts, an early-retirement option for senior employees and increased flexibility in the use of part-time employees, the parties said.

It also calls for the creation of new job classifications that recognize variations in skill levels, with pay scales for the classifications fixed for extended periods.

The parties said no other contract details will be made public until the deal is ratified.