By the mid-80's the company had regained its health, and workers regained wage parity with those at other companies.

Though employers can delay another six months if the economy is sour, they failed to link wage parity to productivity and growth.

Other contracts cover entire industries, and thus guarantee wage parity among employers.

The engineers are seeking to be paid more than the conductors, who won wage parity with the engineers 15 years ago.

City officials said their ability to get uniformed workers to agree to the same increases as other city workers - which is called wage parity - marked a significant milestone.

The new agreement initiated immediate wage parity between casinos in addition to wage increases in each year of the three-year contract.

More than 2,000 state employees went on strike on April 7, 1989, in support of a pay demand to establish wage parity with the private sector.

Ms. Weingarten said that wage parity would be a union priority during contract talks.

Employers say wage parity must be linked to productivity and economic growth.

Ms. Messinger is supporting wage parity between city schoolteachers, police officers and firefighters and their suburban counterparts.