A chaotic summer of travel and forecasts of airline union turbulence now gives way to collective pressure from pilot unions against major U.S. carriers. Let’s just say that demand for air travel returned in full force this year, and unions see the opportunity presented by holiday travel season and an already diminished workforce.
With that in mind, a lot of union maneuvering is taking place regarding pilots for Delta, American, and United Airlines:
- 15,000 Delta Air Lines pilots voted to authorize a strike if a contract doesn’t come together. This follows three years of failed negotiations for Delta and the union.
- American and United pilots recently shot down contracts while arguing that their main quibble isn’t about money but about achieving “work-life balance.” United did agree to give pilots 5% raises while contract talks continue. However, pilots at both airlines still seek double-digit pay raises after an October deal led to Alaska Airlines pilots receiving 23% raises after authorizing a strike.
- A potential merger between unions could be in the works between the American Airlines pilots and the Air Line Pilots Association that already represents Delta and United pilots. Stay tuned on that note.
