American, Pilots Extend Strike Deadline

American Airlines and the Allied Pilots Assn. have agreed to a new timetable that extends the potential for a strike beyond an April 28 deadline, the carrier said. The agreement delays any strike until at least 30 days after a rejection by either side, said the airline, a unit of Fort Worth-based AMR Corp. The pact gives both sides a 30-day cooling-off period before a strike could begin in the event a tentative labor pact between both parties is rejected. The labor agreement must first be approved by the board of the pilots union and then by the union’s rank-and-file membership. The board is scheduled to meet April 3. An airline spokesman said the agreement also stipulates that Congress be in session on the day a strike would begin.