Delta Pilots Detail Why Scheduling Talks Broke Down as Cancellations Rise

Delta Air Lines’ pilots’ union said in a letter Tuesday that it would not be possible to reach an agreement with management this summer to fix pilot scheduling, which has become an issue for the carrier known for its reliability. “Delta's operational woes are unfortunate and avoidable, but they are neither of our making nor solely ours to fix,” said Eric Criswell, the chairman of the union that represents Delta’s pilots, in the letter, which was seen by Skift. The union is not completely walking away from negotiations, but said expedited talks to fix scheduling at Delta broke down. “Instead of reciprocating our goodwill, the Company has expanded its demands well beyond those initial discussions, and well past anything that is realistic to accomplish on an accelerated timeline,” the letter says. While the expedited negotiations were supposed to focus on scheduling and other issues like compensation and tra