Pilots at Delta reject contract by 65-35 margin, union leaders plan meeting to plot next step

Pilots at Delta Air Lines have rejected a tentative contract approved by union negotiators.

The Air Line Pilots Association said Friday that pilots voted 65 percent to 35 percent to reject the deal.

Delta and union negotiators had reached a tentative deal several months before the current contract came due for bargaining, raising expectations for ratification. But some pilots opposed a provision that could have reduced profit-sharing, and analysts had come to expect a close vote.

The rejection is not expected to disrupt Delta operations. The pilots will continue flying under their current contract, and federal law makes it difficult for airline workers to legally go on strike.

The leader of the Delta pilots, Mike Donatelli, said that the union group's executive council would meet July 21 to reassess strategy.