Delta pilots vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike
Delta Air Lines says this authorization does not impact operations
Delta Air Lines pilots overwhelmingly voted to authorize union leaders to strike if necessary to get a new contract agreement.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents the pilots, announced Monday that 99% of the pilots "authorized union leaders to call a strike." About 96% of its members took part in the vote.
DELTA PILOTS OPEN VOTING FOR STRIKE AUTHORIZATION AS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FALTER
The union says its pilots are working under pay rates, contractual provisions and benefits that were negotiated six years ago. Negotiations for a new contract started in April 2019 but were paused in March 2020 for nearly two years due to the pandemic. Talks resumed in January 2022.
Travelers move through the ticketing area of Delta Air Lines in Terminal in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Delta’s nearly 15,000 pilots sent a clear message to management that we are willing to go the distance to secure a contract that reflects the value we bring to Delta Air Lines as frontline leaders and long-term stakeholders," Capt. Jason Ambrosi, chair of the Delta Master Executive Council, said in a statement.
Still, Ambrosi said their "goal is to reach an agreement, not to strike."
Delta Air Lines told FOX Business that this authorization vote will not affect its operations and that "under that federal law, there are many steps remaining in the process and many opportunities left for collaborative negotiations before a strike is even allowed to be considered."
Delta Air Lines planes are seen at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the July 4th weekend in Queens, New York City, U.S., July 2, 2022. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
DELTA AIR LINES PILOTS PICKET NATIONWIDE FOR BETTER CONTRACT AMID FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS
For one, before a strike can even take place, the ALPA says the National Mediation Board must decide that any other mediation efforts would not be helpful and offer both sides the opportunity to arbitrate the contract dispute.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 63.41 | -0.41 | -0.64% |
If either side declines, then ALPA and Delta enter a "cooling off" period for 30 days, "after which pilots and management can engage in self-help—a strike by the union or a lockout by management," according to the ALPA.
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Delta added that "ALPA's stated purpose for the vote is simply to gain leverage in our pilot contract negotiations, which continue to progress under the normal process set by the Railway Labor Act and in partnership with the National Mediation Board."
Delta says it's confident, after making significant progress in negotiations, that both parties will reach a "fair and equitable" agreement.