UAL, Union Reach Agreement

Management at UAL Corp., parent company of United Airlines, and the union representing the carrier's mechanics, yesterday reached a tentative contract agreement after more than two years of tough negotiations but just two days before tomorrow's strike deadline. The pact, still subject to ratification by 15,000 mechanics and related employees, averts that strike and a probable bankruptcy for the world's second largest carrier.

Instead, the rank and file of the International Association of Machinists District 141-M will vote March 5 on the proposed contact. To accommodate the voting, both parties agreed to extend the strike deadline until March 7. "This agreement fulfills the IAM's promise to negotiate an industry-leading contract