The Air Line

Pilots Association has been in contract negotiations with Delta Air Lines

since September 1999; the Delta pilots' contract became amendable May

2, 2000. ALPA and Delta jointly requested the NMB's mediation services

Nov. 17, and stipulated to a 90-day time line to complete negotiations

or request a proffer of arbitration from the NMB.

Should either

party decline the proffer, a 30-day countdown period would begin March

1, with a possible pilot strike as early as April 1.

"Authorizing

a strike ballot is not a step the union leadership takes lightly,"

said Capt. Charles Giambusso, chairman of the Delta Master Executive Council,

a unit of ALPA. "Our pilot negotiators continue to work hard to achieve

a new agreement through mediation. However, as the clock continues to

tick on our 90-day negotiating time line, it is time to ballot our membership

so that we have their authorization to execute a strike should one become

necessary."

The results

of the ballot will be announced Feb. 12.