Delta Air Pilots Approve Strike

Pilots at Delta Air Lines have voted to authorize a strike if negotiators cannot reach an agreement on a new employment contract, their union said on Monday (Tuesday, Nov.1, 2022, in Manila), David Shepardson and Rajesh Kumar Singh reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The carrier said "significant progress" has been made in the contract negotiations and only a few issues have been left to resolve.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents nearly 15,000 pilots at the Atlanta-based carrier, said 99% of those who cast their ballots backed strike authorization.

Under US law, Delta pilots cannot walk off the job until the National Mediation Board grants them permission.

The board must first decide that additional mediation efforts would not be productive and offer the parties an opportunity to arbitrate. If either side declines, both parties enter a 30-day "cooling off" period, after which pilots and management can engage in self-help - a strike by the union or a lockout by management.

This lengthy and complex process makes it difficult for airline workers to strike. The last pilot strike at a U.S. passenger carrier was at Spirit Airlines in 2010. Delta said its pilots are not on strike and the vote will not affect its operation.

The carrier said "significant progress" has been made in the contract negotiations and only a few issues have been left to resolve.

"ALPA's stated purpose for the vote is simply to gain leverage in our pilot contract negotiations," a company spokesperson said. "We are confident that the parties will reach an agreement that is fair and equitable, as we always have in past negotiations."

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