A pilot walks past a window at the newly renovated Delta D terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York March 6, 2021.
Timothy A. Clary | AFP | beautiful pictures
Delta Airlines and its pilots union have reached a preliminary agreement to increase wages by up to 30% over four years, a key deal that could drastically boost the salaries of pilots across the industry.
Pilots unions and airlines across the United States have been in intense negotiations for months if not years, as crews seek higher compensation and better schedules.
Delta pilots voted in October to authority a strike if no deal is reached, while pilots at several airlines have chosen this year to demand improved contracts. Delta and unions are closing in on a deal by mid-November, CNBC report.
Unions have complained of grueling schedules as travel has been hit by the pandemic. Delta and other US carriers are profitable again, but shortages of trained pilots have hampered the airlines’ recovery and contributed to higher airfare. It also gives pilots more power in contract negotiations. Labor and fuel are the two top costs for airlines.
The “agreement in principle” Delta reached with the Airline Pilots Association equates to $7.2 billion in cumulative value over four years, the union told members in an email late on Wednesday. Six. About a quarter of that is tied to improving quality of life.
The agreement includes an 18% increase on the contract date, followed by a 5% increase a year later, and two 4% increases in each subsequent year. It also includes a lump sum payment of 4% of each payment for 2020 and 2021, plus 14% of the 2022 payment.
A Delta spokesperson said in an emailed statement: “We are pleased to have reached agreement in principle for a new pilot contract that recognizes the contributions of our pilots. us for Delta’s success.”
Efforts at transactions at American Airlines and unified airline So far has failed but Delta’s deal could spur negotiations.
“We will review the approved arrangements of other carriers, including United, and update our pay proposals promptly as details become available,” the CEO said. of American Robert Isom said in a video message to pilots in June.
The Delta deal says wages will exceed US and American wages by at least 1% throughout the course of the deal, which still requires union and pilot approval.
