Delta pilots vote for strike

On Friday, pilots at Delta Air Lines Inc said they were voting for a strike, saying negotiations with the U.S. airline for a new contract had failed to produce an industry-leading agreement.

Since February 2020, the Air Line Pilots Association has been in talks with the ALPA, representing about 14,600 pilots at Delta. Talks paused during the pandemic and resumed in January.

A strike is not inevitable because of the ballot approval of the ALPA.

Before that happens, the National Mediation Board must decide that additional mediation efforts would not be productive and give the parties an opportunity to arbitrate. If either side declines, both parties enter a 30 day cooling off period.

Delta said no strike has been called, so this authorization vote will not affect our operation for our customers. The purpose of the vote is to gain leverage in our pilot contract negotiations, which continue to progress under the normal process. The airline stated that Delta and ALPA have made significant progress in their negotiations and have resolved more than the majority of contract sections. As we always have in past negotiations, we are confident that the parties will reach a consensual deal that is fair and equitable. Over the last six months, thousands of Delta pilots have shown solidarity on informational picket lines across the country. The strike authorization ballot allows our members to tell management that it is time to invest in Delta pilots.