AMERICAN AIRLINES, profitable again after racking up $8 billion in losses since 2001, faces a three-front battle to limit labor costs that are among the highest in the industry.

The three unions representing American’s employees want to make up for double-digit wage and benefit cuts back in 2003, when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. They argue that their sacrifices saved the nation’s largest airline and they deserve to be rewarded now with big pay raises.