Airlines' pilot-union chiefs fail to reach an agreement

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 13, 2008 | by Deseret Morning News Wire Services

Pilot-union leaders of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines adjourned their latest seniority integration talks Tuesday without reaching an agreement, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported, citing unnamed sources.

Delta, which has a Salt Lake City hub, and Northwest have put a much-expected merger deal on hold while the two units of the Air Line Pilots Association try to reach a parallel deal on how to integrate the two work groups' seniority lists.

The executive committee of Delta's pilots union is scheduled to meet today. The executive committee of Northwest's pilots union is currently meeting through Friday. Both sets of executive committee meetings were previously planned.

Unlike prior airline deals, Atlanta-based Delta and Eagan, Minn.- based Northwest have tried to get their pilots to work out their own integration before any airline combination announcement. Seniority is a major issue for pilots because it determines who gets desirable -- and higher-paying -- planes, routes and schedules.