In a victory for rank-and-file workers at the Tulsa maintenance base, American Airlines' parent company AMR has tentatively agreed to freeze the worker's pension plan, as opposed to terminating the plan altogether.

If the plan had been terminated, it would have been transferred to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, an independent government agency which might have resulted in the workers getting less than the full amount of their benefits.

Transport Workers Union Local 514 Vice-President Mike McDonald says there was also concern that the amount of the American pension plan was so large that it would have put the entire PBGC in jeopardy.

"They've had so much pressure put on them by other defined plans being dumped on them that they're worried they can't meet those obligations," McDonald said.

With the plan frozen, McDonald said the workers should at least the full amount of the benefits that have been put into the plan up to this point.

"We hope so," he said.  "It makes it a lot safer."

McDonald said he didn't know what sort of retirement plan the workers will have going forward, but he said there's been talk of everything from a 401-K plan to a new pension plan that would be funded by employee contributions.