A group of Delta Air Lines pilots, at odds with its union over national policies, in particular the outsourcing of jobs to regional carriers, is threatening to form an independent union.
Delta, similar to other airlines, depends on contracts with smaller regional carriers such as Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines to perform some of its flying. However, the protesting pilots' group has objected to the Delta pilot union's labor agreement that enables the company to outsource a significant amount of its flying to the regional carriers.
Delta pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, and Delta’s ALPA unit is part of the larger Washington-based Air Line Pilots Association, International, which is the world’s largest airline pilot union. At several regional carriers, pilots also are represented by ALPA.
Organized under the name Delta Pilots Association, the pilots' group believes this crossover of representation for large and small carriers is a conflict of interest for ALPA.
Delta Pilots Association founder Tim Caplinger told a group of about 20 fellow Delta pilots gathered at a Wednesday morning meeting that his trust in the pilots' current representation "has been damaged." He also objected to the ALPA leaders' level of expenditures and ALPA's pooling of dues from pilots at multiple airlines.
ALPA advocates, however, said there's no conflict because each airline's pilots negotiate their own contract provisions. They also said the union's size and influence help advance the profession overall, and that includes efforts in Washington to improve federal aviation safety regulations.
Caplinger said 3,300 of Delta's 12,000 pilots have signed cards seeking a representation election; his goal is to collect 6,500 cards before filing for an election.
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