Delta Air pilots vote to authorize strike By Reuters

By David Shepardson and Rajesh Kumar Singh

(Reuters) -Pilots at Delta Air Strains (NYSE:) have voted to authorize a strike if negotiators can not attain settlement on a brand new employment contract, their union mentioned on Monday.

The Air Line Pilots Affiliation (ALPA), which represents practically 15,000 pilots on the Atlanta-based provider, mentioned 99% of those that forged their ballots backed strike-authorization.

Beneath U.S. legislation, Delta pilots can not stroll off the job till the Nationwide Mediation Board grants them permission.

The board should first resolve that extra mediation efforts wouldn’t be productive and provide the events a chance to arbitrate. If both aspect declines, each events enter a 30-day “cooling off” interval, after which pilots and administration can have interaction in self-help – a strike by the union or a lockout by administration.

This prolonged and sophisticated course of makes it troublesome for airline employees to strike. The final pilot strike at a U.S. passenger provider was at Spirit Airways (NYSE:) in 2010.

Delta mentioned its pilots are usually not on strike and the vote is not going to have an effect on its operation. The provider mentioned a “important progress” has been made within the contract negotiations and just a few points have been left to resolve.

“ALPA’s said goal for the vote is solely to achieve leverage in our pilot contract negotiations,” an organization spokesperson mentioned. “We’re assured that the events will attain an settlement that’s truthful and equitable, as we at all times have in previous negotiations.”

Delta’s pilot union mentioned the contract negotiations have dragged on for too lengthy. “It is time for the corporate to get critical on the bargaining desk and put money into the Delta pilots,” mentioned Jason Ambrosi, chairman of the Delta Grasp Govt Council.

Delta pilots have been working and not using a new contract for practically three years after their previous contract grew to become amendable in December 2019.