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Delta union leaders approve tentative contract for ratification vote

FOX News logo FOX News 1/19/2023 Daniella Genovese
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Delta pilots will start voting on a tentative contract – which could serve as a benchmark for the industry – at the end of this month. 

Delta union leaders represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), voted on Wednesday to send Delta's comprehensive tentative labor agreement on to rank-and-file members for a ratification vote. 

Pilots will be able to vote on the tentative agreement – which could set the standard for competing carriers who are also in the midst of contract negotiations with their pilot unions – from Jan. 31 to March 1, according to the Delta Master Executive Council (MEC). 

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Delta in December had offered its pilots a new labor deal which included a 34% cumulative pay increase over three years with an immediate raise of at least 18% on the date the contract is signed, according to Reuters. 

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 aircraft as seen flying over Myrtle avenue during a summer day for landing at London Heathrow Airport LHR. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images © Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 aircraft as seen flying over Myrtle avenue during a summer day for landing at London Heathrow Airport LHR. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The pilots would receive another 5% raise after one year, 4% after two years, and 4% after three years, Reuters reported.  

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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that tentative contract could help all major carriers "get deals done on the same terms."  

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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.

Passengers are seen at the Delta Air Lines check in area before their flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 28, 2022. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage © REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage Passengers are seen at the Delta Air Lines check in area before their flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 28, 2022. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

"It’s now time for Delta pilots to vote on whether these agreements will become part of our contract," said MEC chair Capt. Darren Hartmann said in a statement. "The union is committed to ensuring our 15,000 pilots have the time and resources needed to make an informed decision."

To help, the union's negotiating committee will begin a series of road shows at each pilot base beginning starting next week. 

The committee will present the agreement to the members and answer questions. The ALPA also provided the pilot group with full contractual language and launched a website that contains detailed information. 

If members do not approve the tentative agreement, union leaders will "discuss next steps in coordination with the National Mediation Board," according to the ALPA. 

However, Delta previously told FOX Business that it's confident, after making significant progress in negotiations, that both parties will reach a "fair and equitable" agreement. 

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