Pilots at American Airlines will not go on strike unless it is legal to do so, the president of the pilots' union said yesterday, Reuters reported. The Allied Pilots Association had said last week that it was making preparations to call a strike vote should American implement harsh new work terms on pilots. The carrier has been operating under chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since late last year. Keith Wilson, who was named to head the pilots' union earlier this month after his predecessor resigned, said yesterday that while the union is exploring legal options, it would be difficult to stage a walkout while American, a unit of AMR Corp., is in bankruptcy. A hearing on a second American Airlines request to void the carrier's collective bargaining agreements with the pilots' union is scheduled for Sept 4.
