Delta Air Lines pilots picketed outside the company’s headquarters as they push for a new contract with pay increases.
Wearing uniforms and lined up along the sidewalk at the Delta campus near the Atlanta airport, pilots held signs reading “What’s a Delta pilot worth?” and “Labor Risk Is Back On The Table.”
The two sides have been in federal mediation since March 31. John Malone, chairman of the Delta pilots union, said prolonged talks take a toll on morale and are a distraction for the company.
Malone said Delta management has proposed a 27 percent pay increase to pilots over four years, while the union seeks 31 percent over three.
Delta called its proposal “an industry-leading package of pay, benefits and work rules,” adding, “We recognize the many contributions Delta pilots have made to the airline’s success and are hopeful that a conclusion to negotiations can be reached soon.”
As Delta reports billions in profits, pilots say they want to recover from pay cuts during past financial challenges. Rank-and-file pilots voted last year to reject a proposed deal for raises of more than 21 percent over three years.
The pilots union over the summer opened a center to organize picketing and other activities "in the event a strike bcomes necessary," a move to ratchet up pressure. Malone said the union is "prepared for the possibility of it not coming to an agreement and having to go down that road."
The National Mediation Board determines when negotiations reach an impasse, and would then allow a 30-day cooling-off period before any strike or a lockout is permitted.
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