Requesting more information about where the cuts will fall and how they will affect service, the board delayed action until the first week in February.

The board had said it would take action in the spring, but recently delayed a decision until summer.

At a meeting tomorrow, after a hearing, the board can approve the plan or delay it.

At the same time, the board has delayed taking any action on the contract.

Corporate boards often delay taking action on dividends - both good and bad - until they are certain that the business trends will continue.

Among other changes, the board delayed the rules by one year, to 1993, for large companies and to 1994 for those with fewer than 500 workers.

After adopting the changed formula, however, the board delayed notifying the shareholders for several weeks.

The union's board had delayed setting a strike date Monday after management officials said the move would undermine negotiations.

In addition, the 13-member board delayed the start of work on the hotel, which had already been scaled back to 500 rooms to cut costs.

But some auto companies are betting the board will delay the standard or lower the required percentage.