Pilots at United will vote on contract

United Airlines and its pilots’ union said Friday they reached tentative agreement on the outline of a new contract, a notable deal while labor tension has increased in the airline industry.

The leader of the United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, Michael Hamilton, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called it an industry-leading agreement. However, financial details were not disclosed.

The two sides said they were still working on contract language, and that pilots would hold a ratification vote in coming weeks. The union represents about 13,700 pilots, who have been working under terms of a contract that came up for renegotiation in January 2019 — by law, labor contracts at airlines do not expire.

The tentative deal at United contrasts with increasing tension between pilots and management at American, Southwest and Alaska. Pilots, whose numbers were cut through buyouts and early retirement after the pandemic hit, say they are overworked, and they are demanding sizable pay increases.