Delta-Northwest pilots reach consolidation deal

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 19, 2008 | by The Detroit News

Leaders of the union representing 11,100 pilots at Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. have reached an agreement on consolidating the two groups of workers under a merged carrier, sources close to the matter said Monday.

It outlines terms for combining the pilots' seniority lists, as well as calls for a pilots' representative on the board and an equity stake in the merged airline.

The agreement between the Delta and Northwest chapters of the Air Line Pilots Association -- the only union representing employees at both airlines -- will be presented Wednesday at a scheduled meeting of Delta's board in New York, the sources said.

The plan addresses most of the pilots' concerns and removes a major hurdle to a Delta-Northwest merger. Both airlines wanted the pilots to work out a deal before an official consolidation announcement was made.