In order to enhance profitability and keep up with the tight labor market in the United States, Delta Air Lines is hiking employee pay by 5%, the second time in less than a year.
The first increases since before the epidemic, 4%, were made to Delta employees' salaries in May.
“This is actually a tremendous accomplishment, especially in light of the enormous losses we incurred during the epidemic, including a $1 billion first-quarter loss only last year.,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a staff note on Tuesday. “I'm convinced that our high-performance culture will propel us to new heights in the months and years to come, and that reward pool will keep expanding..”
As per Delta, the increased raises are applicable to both flight attendants and ground staff beginning April 1. In late 2019, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA began a unionization drive for Delta's cabin crew.
The Delta pilots, who are voting on a new contract proposal that promises 34% raises over four years, are exempt from the salary increases. The pilots would receive raises of 18% on the signing day if approved.
Despite suffering a record loss of more than $12 billion in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Delta reported a $1.32 billion profit last year.
Delta, based in Atlanta, also intends to distribute more than $550 million in shared profits to its employees later this month, according to Bastian.
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