AIRLINES

United Pilots Near Vote on Buyout: Leaders of United Airlines’ pilots union joined ground crew workers in approving a proposal for employees to use wage and benefit cuts to buy the airline. The deal still requires the backing of shareholders in UAL Corp., United’s parent company. A shareholder vote is expected this spring, although no date has been set. Union leaders representing 5,255 pilots, or 72.7% of the membership, voted for the deal, and those representing 1,972 pilots voted against it, the United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Assn. said. The 28,200 ground-crew workers represented by the Machinists union approved the plan 56% to 44%. Machinists would take a 9.7% salary cut for six years.