Delta pilots approve contract to raise pay by more than 30%

ATLANTA (AP) — Pilots at Delta Air Lines have a new contract with hefty pay increases. The Air Line Pilots Association said Wednesday that 78% of Delta pilots who voted supported the contract. The union says the deal will raise pay by more than 30% over four years. Delta has about 15,000 pilots. With a shortage, especially at smaller airlines, pilots have leverage to bargain for pay increases. The Delta deal is likely to set the pattern for negotiations at American, United and Southwest.