Despite a few early contracts, the company discovered that its low bids were repeatedly rejected.

The earlier contracts had called for raises of $34 in the first year, then $32 and $32.

How exactly an early literal contract differed from mutuum itself is not certain.

They will lift eastern wages to western levels by mid-1996, two years later than the earlier contract.

Some defense work continues to trickle in, while some earlier big contracts are still being filled.

But he said it would take several months to become "dolphin safe" because some earlier contracts were still in force.

It has one round of labor talks to complete - with ground workers who rejected an earlier contract.

Observers say Bloomberg sought an early contract in order to win the union's support for school funding fights.

Baldo announced that he was going to turn back despite his earlier contract.

The earlier contracts were defeated 57 percent to 43 percent in a vote by some 1,600 union members.