United Airlines planes at Newark Liberty International Airport
Leslie Josephs | CNBC
United Airlines pilots “overwhelmingly” rejected a tentative agreement that will have given pilots raises of nearly 17%, their union said Tuesday, the most recent setback in rocky labor talks between unions and airlines.
The tentative agreement “fell in need of the industry-leading contract United pilots have earned and deserve after leading the airline through the pandemic and back to profitability,” the Air Line Pilots Association said.
Near 10,000 of United’s roughly 14,000 pilots participated, with 94% voting against the agreement, the union said.
Airlines and unions have struggled to achieve agreements for brand spanking new pilot contracts. Unions are searching for raises and higher scheduling as airlines change into profitable following a greater than two-year pandemic slump.
Delta Air Lines pilots voted to authorize a possible strike if the airline and the union cannot come to an agreement, their union said.
“Unfortunately, management has now taken a wait-and-see approach to negotiations as a substitute of leading the industry forward,” United’s chapter of ALPA said in an announcement.
The union said it could organize informational pickets to encourage the corporate to resume talks.
United didn’t immediately comment.