© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Pilots from United Airlines take part in a media sit-in at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, US, on May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
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(Reuters) – The union president said in a letter to pilots on Friday that the United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:) pilots union voted unanimously to authorize a strike vote.
“You will receive further communications regarding this imminent strike vote in the coming days,” the letter said. A spokesperson for the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) said it had not yet set a date for a vote on the strike.
The action comes months after pilots at Delta Air Lines (NYSE:) signed off on a contract that includes more than $7 billion in cumulative pay and benefits increases over four years.
Industry officials say the new Delta contract has become the benchmark for contract negotiations in North America.
“We have offered our pilots an industry-leading deal and are actively working with ALPA to reach an agreement,” a United Airlines spokesperson said, adding that United flights will continue to operate as planned as the negotiation process continues.
The move toward a strike vote is a bargaining tactic used by unions in contract negotiations, and mandating a strike does not mean that pilots will quit their job.
United’s contract was renewed in 2019 and negotiations have been going on for five years. Last year, its pilots voted overwhelmingly against an initial contract, which the union said fell short of what members were seeking. Since then, the United Flyers have been protesting for a better deal.