ATLANTA – The executive committee of the pilots union at Delta Air Lines Inc. voted unanimously Thursday to ask rank-and-file members to authorize a strike.
The decision came after a day-long closed-door meeting in New York, said Lee Moak, chairman of the executive committee.
“It’s my recommendation that the pilot group vote for the strike ballot,” Moak said.
The vote comes as the nation’s third-largest airline, which filed for bankruptcy protection in New York Sept. 14, asks the court to reject the pilots’ contract so it can impose $325 million in concessions on its 6,000 pilots, which would include a 19 percent pay cut.
Delta lawyers have said in court that the company believes it could impose new contract terms on its pilots starting in Friday even if the judge doesn’t rule on Delta’s contract rejection request by then. It’s not clear what Delta’s position would be if the judge extends the hearings beyond that date.
The pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, initially offered $90.7 million in average annual concessions over four years. They have since reviewed their proposal and now value it at $150 million, which would include a 9 percent pay cut for seven months, followed by smaller cuts thereafter.
The cuts would be on top of $1 billion in annual concessions to which the pilots agreed to in 2004.
A successful strike authorization would allow the union to call a strike without having to come before the rank-and-file again. The process calls for balloting to occur over 15 days. Ballots will be sent out in the next several days, Moak said.
“We remain committed to a consensual agreement, but we just have seen no movement,” Moak said. “At this moment, management has refused to negotiate. They are still at $325 million.”
The airline has said a strike by its pilots would put the company out of business. It believes a strike would violate the Railway Labor Act. The union has argued that if its contract is thrown out by the court, it would be allowed to strike.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
