NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Feb. 5, 2003-- AMR Corp. (BB-/Watch Neg./--) unit American Airlines Inc. (BB-/Watch Neg./--) asked its unionized employees to accept $1.8 billion annually of permanent labor cost savings to supplement other cost-cutting efforts and eliminate heavy losses. Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said its ratings on both entities remain on CreditWatch with negative implications, where they were placed Jan. 22, 2003. "American's labor cost-cutting proposals, expected in the wake of the company's ongoing heavy losses, will launch difficult negotiations with its unions, but prospects for success are bolstered by the sobering precedents of steep labor concessions at bankrupt United Air Lines Inc. and US Airways Inc., and the termination of a pension plan at the latter
