Delta, pilots' union reach agreement to avoid furloughs

Delta and its pilots' union have reached a tentative agreement to cut labor costs in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic without involuntary furloughs. Delta and the Delta Master Executive Council, a unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, International labor union, came to an agreement Thursday. The agreement, if it is ratified by a vote of Delta MEC members, will safeguard against pilot furloughs through Jan. 1, 2022. The deal includes a provision that if a CARES Act extension with the same terms and conditions as the original CARES Act is achieved by the US federal government, the agreement between Delta and its pilots' union will pause and will not resume until after the extension ends, even if Delta does not utilize the aid. With the agreement not yet ratified by MEC members, Delta has delayed the date on which pilot furloughs would take effect until Nov. 28. Prior to reaching the tentative agreement, roughly 1,900 pilots, including nearly 500 based in Atlanta, were facing furloughs on Nov. 1. In a memo to flight operations employees, John Laughter, Delta SVP and chief of operations, said the delay "should provide sufficient time for the MEC to work through the ratification process in the coming weeks." Story has complete details.<br/>