Delta, pilots reach contract deal early
Delta Air Lines’ pilots union announced that its negotiators have a tentative agreement on a new contract with the company, a milestone reached unusually quickly and smoothly.
The deal still faces review by a union leadership council, and then would have to be ratified by rank-and-file pilots.
The current contract runs through the end of this year, after which it becomes amendable. The Air Line Pilots Association at Delta started negotiating with management about two months ago, and the union’s negotiating committee will now present the deal it reached with the company to union leadership. The leaders are meeting in Atlanta this week.
The company and the union declined to disclose pay changes or other details of the tentative agreement.
Typically, pilot contract negotiations extend well beyond the amendable date and often are contentious.
Delta pilots union chairman Tim O’Malley told pilots in a memo that reaching the deal so early is “unprecedented.” The company said an agreement “has been a high priority” since negotiations began.
The current contract stems from a deal reached in 2008, amid Delta’s acquisition of Northwest Airlines. It included raises for pilots. Pilot pay and benefits had been cut during Delta’s bankruptcy reorganization in the mid-2000s.
About the Author
As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.
