41.   Aides to Pataki and Sheldon Silver, the Assembly Speaker, denied that negotiators had reached even a tentative agreement and refused to discuss the talks.

42.   AirTran and the NPA, an independent union, had negotiated for about a year before reaching the tentative agreement.

43.   Brill said on Wednesday that he did not know how much material could potentially be covered by the tentative agreement.

44.   But after nearly two more days of intense talks, the league and players reached a tentative agreement.

45.   But compared to negotiations at competing carriers, which have dragged on for years, this tentative agreement was reached relatively quickly.

46.   But even though the tentative agreement was reached minutes before midnight, the company convinced Airbus to extend the deadline.

47.   But for reasons that have as much to do with image and perception as with the terms of their tentative agreement with the airline, another strike seems unlikely.

48.   But if a tentative agreement is reached and then voted down next month, Congress would be available, but still unlikely, to prevent a walk out.

49.   But in the volatile environment here, the tentative agreement between Labor and Likud to share power under Sharon could still collapse because of ideological differences or other reasons.

50.   But Levine also sees problems with the tentative agreement.