Spirit Airlines Strike Update

Damn, it sounded as if you guys were close, but good for you for not caving and taking something less then expected just to prevent this strike from happening. Good luck gentleman.
 
An "almost balanced" article from the WSJ. I was certainly expecting some Ayn Rand-ian urine-soaked diatribe about the evils of organized labor.

I guess the reporter didn't want to take the time to investigate if management's offer of a 'raise' would even bring them close to industry parity.

Spirit Pilots Launch Strike

By MIKE ESTERL

Spirit Airlines Inc. said it canceled all of its flights Saturday after its pilots went on strike in a dispute over pay – the first strike at a U.S. passenger carrier in nearly five years.

The Florida discount airline, which carries a bit less than 1% of U.S. air passenger traffic, said it will give customers of canceled flights a credit for the full amount of the flight, in addition to a $100 future flight credit.

Spirit said it offered its roughly 450 pilots more than 30% in pay increases totaling $70 million over five years, net of productivity gains. Pilots also were offered $3,000 signing bonuses.

"We are frustrated and disappointed," Ben Baldanza, Spirit's chief executive, said in a statement following the failed talks.

The strike disrupts thousands of customers and jeopardizes the livelihoods of the more than 2000 employees at the airline, he added.

Spirit's pilots went on strike at 5:01 a.m. Saturday, after more than three years of negotiations with management on a new deal and last-ditch, week-long talks in Washington D.C. that went into the early morning.

The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots at Spirit, said in a statement that the pilots went on strike after "numerous attempts" to "find a middle ground" with management. It says pilots at Spirit have been working at below-market compensation rates and work rules for years.

"No one wanted this strike," said Sean Creed, head of the Spirit unit at ALPA, the largest pilot union in the U.S.

Spirit primarily serves the eastern U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America. It is the largest carrier at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, with nearly a 20% market share, and has a large presence in Atlantic City, Detroit and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
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There might be a line in DTW, text Seggy as he's with the National Strike Chairman doing scab patrol.
 
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Spirit labor dispute

Spirit Airlines pilots declare strike and walk out on negotiations

Passengers on pre-canceled Spirit flights have the option of a full refund or Spirit credit plus $100 Spirit travel voucher.

By Jaclyn Giovis, Sun Sentinel

12:27 AM EDT, June 12, 2010



Spirit Airlines pilots declared a strike at 5 a.m. Saturday, and walked-out on labor contract negotiations after more than three years of bargaining for better salaries and benefits.

The discount carrier immediately canceled all its flights for Saturday.

Spirit Airlines said Friday that passengers stuck in the middle of its labor dispute with its pilots can get full refunds or flight credits if their flights have been pre-canceled in anticipation of a possible pilots strike.

Passengers who choose a credit also will get a $100 future flight voucher on Spirit, company spokesman Misty Pinson said.

Pinson said Spirit agents have been calling customers affected by canceled flights. Passengers with Spirit reservations should call the airline's reservation line, 800-772-7117. Those who are notified of a cancelation should inquire about the refund and credit option.

On flights that Spirit has not canceled, passengers should be aware that canceling a reservation and rescheduling will likely trigger Spirit's cancelation/change fee, which is at least $100.

The decision by Spirit's 500 pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, undoubtedly signals more frustration for passengers with existing Spirit reservations. It's still too early to know the toll the strike will have on Spirit's entire network, but the walk-out signals the start of major disruption at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where it's the largest carrier.

"No work is to be done for Spirit Airlines," said Paul Hopkins, strike chairman for Spirit's unit of the ALPA, in a strike hotline voicemail to pilots. Instructing pilots to go home, Hopkins added, "We will hold the line. We will prevail."

A spokeswoman for Spirit Airlines could not be reached for comment.

Picketing is expected to commence daily at Fort Lauderdale airport at between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The Spirit walk-out is the first by pilots at a commercial U.S. carrier since 2001 and it's the first strike since Northwest Airlines mechanics walked out in 2005.

"We are frustrated and disappointed that our pilots have turned down an over 30 percent increase at a cost of over $70 million over five years while disrupting thousands of our customers and jeopardizing the livelihoods of our over 2,000 employees," Spirit Airlines President and CEO Ben Baldanza said in a press release.

Hundreds of Spirit passengers were unable to complete their trips Friday as the company "pre-canceled" nearly a dozen departures from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Fort Myers resident Christine Busch was headed to Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday with her daughter and her daughter's friend when their 10:40 a.m. flight was canceled. The group was on their way to see pop singer Justin Bieber, who is scheduled to perform Saturday at the Atlantis resort.

"My hands are tied for these two 9-year-olds who have been waiting for four months to see the hottest pop star," Busch said. She said she's not sure they'll make it to the concert, and she expects to lose $1,500 in hotel fees.

Spirit does not have interline agreements with other carriers that let those airlines easily accept Spirit tickets, according to the company's contract of carriage agreement and pilots' union officials.

Pinson said Spirit is working with other carriers to re-route passengers, but the company's ability to accommodate passengers through relationships with other airlines may depend on the itinerary, Pinson said.

"With planes so crowded lately, it's going to be hard for passengers to find seats on other carriers," George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog, said in an e-mail.

Spirit is the largest carrier at the Fort Lauderdale airport, flying nearly one in five passengers. It accounts for 41 percent of the international traffic, providing exclusive service to 14 international routes in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At Palm Beach International Airport, Spirit flies seasonally and represents about 1 percent of the total year-round operations. Spirit does not serve Miami International Airport.

Spirit pilots were planning to picket at the Fort Lauderdale airport and another nearby site. On Wednesday, picketing Spirit pilots were joined by pilots who work for more than a dozen other carriers.

Spirit pilots aren't responsible for Friday's rash of cancellations, said Capt. Sean Creed, head of Spirit's unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, in a written statement Friday.

"We are not, nor will we, suggest or encourage a sick-out," he said.

Spirit pilots have been seeking a new contract for more than three years. They want pay similar to that of their peers at JetBlue Airways and AirTran Airways, which currently is as much as 40 percent higher than that of Spirit pilots, Creed has said. They're also fighting to maintain work rules that allow vacation and other benefits.

Staff writer Jorge Valens contributed to this report.

Jaclyn Giovis can be reached at 954-356-4668 or jmgiovis@SunSentinel.com.

For SMS alerts on the Spirit labor situation, text BIZ to 23539 or sign up at SunSentinel.com/alerts
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Funny how Jet Blue is referenced as a staple for pay rates.

They used to be the laughing stock for pay rates in addition to not being ALPA.
 
More or less an indicator of how far Spirit is behind. Please learn about the subject and don't backbite the pilots of Spirit.
 
People are talking about winning PR, who cares about that? The flying public already essentially hates our profession. I don't see how they will increase or decrease any leverage.
 
SpiraMirabilis said:
People are talking about winning PR, who cares about that? The flying public already essentially hates our profession. I don't see how they will increase or decrease any leverage.
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A lot has changed about the data available and the public perception of airline pilots in the last few years. In 2007 I had a passenger on a 1900 tell me I was "horribly overpaid, surely,".

Now the newsprint of the world speaks out about what up to 50% of pilots actually live like and the remainder are expected to see a slow slide towards.

PR matters, because if the politicians get involved in the grand scale or just in this particular event, the pressure the average American puts on them will come to bear.
 
PR only matters to PR people, whose job it is to convince everyone else that PR matters. The average person has more pressing concerns on his mind than the compensation of an employee in another industry. People will just buy at ticket on another airline and go on about their business.
 
O&M said:
PR only matters to PR people, whose job it is to convince everyone else that PR matters. The average person has more pressing concerns on his mind than the compensation of an employee in another industry. People will just buy at ticket on another airline and go on about their business.
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The Press are PR people. They run news for ratings, not as a public service.

The politicians in Washington are DEFINITELY PR people. It's their bread and butter come election day.

It might not matter to everyone, but it matter to enough of the key players to make a difference.
 
meritflyer said:
Funny how Jet Blue is referenced as a staple for pay rates.

They used to be the laughing stock for pay rates in addition to not being ALPA.
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Excellent Point. Wind back to summer of 2000. Can you imagine the look on the face of a Legacy pilot if you told him/her that in 10 years, they would be looking up to SWA as the standard for airline pay?
 
Yes--the Club Med flight to San Salvador. Ironically one of their pilots (don't know if he was flying today) was fired from Spirit for reasons not to be posted on a public board. They also need to keep flying into LGA or lose the slot.

Thanks to SWA for getting me home today to PHL (although not to ACY where my vehicle is). The Captain worked really hard since the flight was full (it seems that there were a lot of Spirit passengers on board).
 
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