Delta/Northwest pilot fight
News today that Delta pilots have received permission to picket Northwest Airlines hub airports does not bode well for a planned merger. Management seemed intent on rekindling the talks prior to these hostilities between the pilot groups.
It seems though management of Northwest and Delta seem to be hoping to revive the merger talks, the pilots, especially at Delta, are fighting back. Atlanta Journal Constitution writes that:
Delta Air Lines pilots have been granted permits to picket at Northwest Airlines hub airports amid a dispute over seniority between the two airlines’ unions that so far has held up a combination of the carriers, according to a memo Tuesday.
The permits grant Delta’s pilots permission to picket at the Minneapolis and Detroit airports, which are considered Northwest crew bases, from Thursday to April 24, a person familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity.
My impressions is that Delta pilots are not very gung-ho about the pending deal.
According to the article,
Another option that remains on the table is a “light” deal between Delta and Northwest in which they would combine some corporate functions but keep separate pilot ranks and operations, people familiar with the talks said.
This is a story that obviously has more twists and turns, including the possible resignation of the current Northwest CEO, Doug Steenland, in June regardless of whether a deal is reached or not.
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