Delta reaches tentative agreement with pilots union negotiators

[June 05, 2015]  (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc has reached a contract agreement with the negotiating committee of its pilots union, paving the way for a new labor deal months ahead of schedule, the union told members in a letter Thursday.

The Delta Master Executive Council (MEC), a unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, will review the agreement for seven days before deciding whether to approve it and submit it to Delta's entire pilot base for a vote, the letter said. Votes in favor could land the Atlanta-based airline a new contract as early as half a year before it can officially become amended on Dec. 31, 2015. That would contrast with union deals at other U.S. airlines that took multiple years to reach. The letter did not disclose details of the tentative contract. However, it is expected that wages will rise after pilots at competitor American Airlines Group Inc <AAL.O> approved a contract with a 23-percent wage hike in January. "This agreement represents the culmination of tremendous effort on your behalf," Delta MEC Chairman Mike Donatelli said in the letter, noting that preparation and talks for the new deal had taken a year. The airline could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in Los Angeles; Editing by Prateek Chatterjee) [© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.