[1/2] United Airlines pilots participate in an informational picket at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
June 2 (Reuters) – The pilots union United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) has voted unanimously to authorize a strike vote, the union president said in a letter to pilots on Friday.
“You will receive more information about this upcoming strike vote in the coming days,” the letter reads. A spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said no date has yet been set for the strike vote.
The move comes months after pilots at Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) ratified a contract that includes more than $7 billion in cumulative pay raises and benefits over four years.
Industry officials say Delta’s new contract has become a benchmark for contract negotiations in North America.
“We have offered our pilots an industry-leading deal and we are actively working with ALPA to reach an agreement,” a United Airlines spokesperson said.
A move toward a strike vote is a bargaining tactic used by unions in contract negotiations, and a strike mandate does not mean that pilots will quit their jobs.
United’s contract was up for renewal in 2019 and negotiations have been going on for five years. Last year, the pilots voted overwhelmingly against a preliminary contract, which the union said did not meet what members were looking for. Since then, United pilots have been protesting for a better deal.
Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Gokul Pisharody; Edited by William Mallard