A wireless communication method and apparatus are disclosed for assigning different phases, (i.e., time periods), to perform data transmissions over designated frequency bands in a cooperative relaying system. In phase 1, a relay station (RS) listens to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and successfully receives b information bits. In phase 2, the RS and WTRU cooperatively transmit these b information bits to the destination. These transmissions may be performed in a unicast scheme, wherein a WTRU sends information to a selected RS in phase 1, and the RS forwards the information to a base station (BS) in phase 2. The transmission may also be performed in a multicast scheme, wherein the WTRU sends information to the RS and the BS in phase 1, and the RS transmits a subset the information to the BS in phase 2.