The pilots union at Delta Air Lines has elected a new chairman as it prepares for a second attempt at negotiating a labor contract.
It’s a name familiar to many Delta pilots and executives: John Malone headed the Air Line Pilots Association unit at Delta from 2003 to 2005.
The pilots union also elected a new chairman for its negotiating committee, with Steve Uvena stepping into that key role.
The changes in union leadership come after Delta pilots in July voted against a proposed contract that the union leaders at the time said would make them the highest-paid in the industry.
Of the pilots who cast ballots, 65 percent voted against the deal.
While the proposal included a series of pay raises, opponents were concerned by a reduction in profit-sharing, as well as by productivity requirements including changes to the sick leave policy.
The union chief at the time of the vote, Mike Donatelli, stepped down a few days after the proposal was defeated.
Delta’s current pilot contract runs through the end of the year. Even if the two sides don’t have a firm deal by then, it will remain in effect under airline labor law, which aims to prevent disruptions. Federal mediators could eventually be involved if the parties don’t reach a pact on their own.
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