FORT WORTH, Texas — The union representing American Airlines pilots said Friday it would reject the carrier's proposal for fast-track contract negotiations that could be settled by baseball-style binding arbitration.

The Allied Pilots Association, which represents about 11,000 American pilots, said the proposal would be too limiting on negotiators.

"Given the number of issues that need to be addressed in these negotiations, particularly on the safety front, APA's leadership concluded that management's proposal . . . would be overly limiting," union president John Darrah said in a written statement.

American, the world's largest airline, had offered pilots an immediate pay raise of 15 percent to 22 percent if they agreed to stop bargaining after 120 days. If no deal could be reached, each side would submit a final proposal to a panel of arbitrators, who would pick one offer or the other.

Major League Baseball uses that form of arbitration to settle contract disputes between players and teams.

"We are very disappointed by the APA's response, because we believe that traditional negotiations in the airline industry are too lengthy and contentious," Jeff Brundage, American's vice president of labor relations, said in a statement.

Brundage said the carrier would consider other ideas for speeding up negotiations.

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American said if pilots accepted the upfront raises they would become the highest-paid in the airline industry, a key union demand.

Darrah acknowledged that the union could be giving up an immediate pay raise, but said compensation was only part of the pilots' concerns, along with crew rest rules and other safety issues.

The union has proposed to bargain through next June, and if no deal could be reached, both sides would ask the National Mediation Board to declare a standoff.

That would start a 30-day countdown toward a strike, although President Bush could delay a strike by appointing a special board to make contract recommendations.

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