Delta May Be Headed for a Strikea

On Wednesday, Delta airlines and its pilots union failed to reach an agreement about additional concessions on the part of the pilots union to keep the beleaguered airline from slipping further into bankruptcy. The dispute will now be sent to binding arbitration. A three-member panel will decide if the airline may throw out the pilots’ contracts unilaterally and impose more than $300 million in cuts. The pilots union has said that it will strike if that happens.

Today, pilots picketed outside Delta’s Atlanta hub. They carried signs berating the airline for its hefty severance packages for top execs while cutting pilot pay.

The panel is scheduled to begin hearing the case on March 13th if no agreement is reached by then. The hearings will take approximately two weeks. Delta passengers with tickets for the last week in March and first few weeks of April should be aware that a strike could affect their travel plans.