Spirit Airlines Strike Update

lostplanetairman said:
So, I just filed a wage claim with the NJ Dept of Labor and Workforce Development since they are not allowed to change the pay date after the fact and the date and time of the email (6:23 PM on 6-14-2010) is proof that they did. And the 401(k) explanation is crap--they took our money too. Where did it go? ERISA...

So, if the deal was off the table, why the email last night? Why the leaks to the media? Because they are desperate.
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something in that reads like pilots did not email them directly...most if not all the pilots know what they are doing and why. they probably just put it together for the purpose of putting something out there to "make you feel bad".
 
Uh oh.... this sounds *really* bad:

As Spirit Airlines strike drags on, pilots negotiate and passengers wait

June 14, 2010|By Sara K. Clarke, Orlando Sentinel
Spirit Airlines canceled more flights this week because of a pilots' strike, though the two sides have been called back to the bargaining table as stranded passengers continued scrambling to find alternative routes home.
At Orlando International Airport, a steady stream of travelers lined up at the Spirit check-in counter Monday, though few reported getting much help. Other passengers, aware of the problem ahead of time, said they had rebooked themselves on other airlines at their own expense.
"We figured over the weekend nothing would get resolved," said Diane Desrosiers, who heard about the strike from another passenger on the flight into Orlando on Friday and booked return tickets on JetBlue Airways for $149 each. "We knew ahead of time. We were proactive."

Spirit's pilots said Monday afternoon they had been called back to the negotiating table by the National Mediation Board, offering stranded passengers a glimmer of hope.
Orlando-based AirTran Airways, another low-cost carrier that said it has an agreement with Spirit to offer assistance whenever possible, added a last-minute flight from Orlando to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Monday. That flight quickly filled up, with some passengers paying as much at $444 for a one-way ticket.
AirTran said it was considering adding another San Juan flight today. A spokesman said the airline's flights used a tiered-pricing system that raise the price as demand rises and seats become scarce.
Rosa Hernandez and her husband, Jose Santana, paid $2,888 Monday for six one-way tickets on AirTran. The couple had driven up from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Spirit's home base, in hopes of finding a way home to Puerto Rico. Their original fare on Spirit: $134 a person.
"We're going first class [on AirTran] because they're all sold out," Hernandez said in Spanish.
Spirit's planes have been grounded since early Saturday, when the airline's pilots walked out after failed contract negotiations. Despite initial vows to keep flying, the discount carrier has been forced to cancel flights at least through Wednesday.
Spirit carries about 16,000 passengers on an average day. Of those, about 1,100 fly out of OIA, where Spirit accounts for only about 2 percent of all passenger traffic
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Let's hope the money is staying in AirTran's hands...
 
It is. Before the airplane even pushed back we had coordinated with everyone, including the Spirit MEC and SPSC, to make sure that it wasn't struck work.
 
wheelsup said:
How is that not struck work?
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Because the Spirit MEC asked other airlines to pick up additional flying over Spirit's routes to put additional pressure on Spirit management. Since Spirit is actually hurt by us stealing their market share, the Spirit pilots don't consider it struck work. In fact, they like it.
 
Ah OK got it.

Lets hope they don't slit their own throats though. That would be really bad.

It's still frustrating our skills aren't worth what we think they are and we have to strong arm our way into pay.
 
It's a windfall for at least two other airlines, Jet Blue and Air Tran as they pick up business from the stranded passengers.

The fares are also quite a bit higher than what Spirit had been charging and as we can see the planes are filling up at the higher fares.

There is not a lot of additional capacity in the air travel system these days and when you take 16,000 seats out of the air, there are not a lot of options for passengers.

Of course those that non rev have known of this.

Joe
 
Socal321 said:
orlando to san juan is not a spirit flight.
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And I think the purpose was to help out stranded passengers who are stuck in the middle of this crap (not crap that they went on strike, but crap in that it came to this). Spirit won't make any money off the flights so it sounds good to me.
 
this article makes it sound like ALPA isn't putting forth a full media/PR/social media effort...is it true?

I can say i haven't seen much come from ALPA, why aren't they out there touting the pilots side of the deal if spirit is?

http://industry.bnet.com/travel/10006501/spirit-pilot-strike-management-winning-the-pr-battle/

There are, of course, two sides to the story. So what is the side from the pilots? Beats me. Oh sure, they took out billboards warning travelers they might strike, but they failed to tell people why.

When they want on strike, they issued a bland statement saying that they need a “fair and equitable” contract. On the surface, that Spirit proposals looks fair and equitable and a lot of people flying will see it that way. They also said they would not comment any further.

Since then, they had been nearly silent until yesterday. Sure, they put out info about the picketing and how many people from other airlines are joining them, but so what? They needed to explain why they’re on strike and why the offer from the company isn’t what it seems.

I thought they had finally figured it out when they put a release out yesterday entitled “Spirit Management Distorts Contract Proposal,” but I was wrong. This release fails to give anything tangible. It simply says that the pilots would have to work longer hours and pay more for their healthcare. Gee, sounds like… everyone else in any other job these days. It also complains that the increase is only worth $62.5 million over five years while the company made $83 million in 2009 alone. I’d love to see oil company employees try that one.
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if you're going to wage war, you wage war from all sides right? fight fire with fire?
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Because the Spirit MEC asked other airlines to pick up additional flying over Spirit's routes to put additional pressure on Spirit management. Since Spirit is actually hurt by us stealing their market share, the Spirit pilots don't consider it struck work. In fact, they like it.
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the article still makes it sound like it's struck work though?
 
That moron FO is on another board defending himself. He actually made the statement "who is going to pay my bills". You can imagine what kind of response that statement elicited.
 
LineCheck said:
That moron FO is on another board defending himself. He actually made the statement "who is going to pay my bills". You can imagine what kind of response that statement elicited.
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He's on here now...atleast he's making an attempt, right or wrong...I can't fault him for atleast trying.

He's got a long road ahead of him, but if he puts forth the right effort, he could gain some respect back.
 
SurferLucas said:
He's on here now...atleast he's making an attempt, right or wrong...I can't fault him for atleast trying.

He's got a long road ahead of him, but if he puts forth the right effort, he could gain some respect back.
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He's a scab.

Once you're a scab, you'll always be a scab.
 
PLEASE NOTE: Picketing in FLL tomorrow (June 16th) will run from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. Briefing at 4:00 p.m. at the Sheraton on Griffin Road. All other locations and times remain the same.
 
jtrain609 said:
He's a scab.

Once you're a scab, you'll always be a scab.
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BobDDuck said:
Hmmmm.... Nope.
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That's why I said "could"...it's up to the individual to decide if they want to give him any respect.

As I've said before, I'm 110% with the pilot's at Spirit and I hope they get what they truly deserve, an equitable contract.

As for the "scab", he'll have to live with his decisions...I don't support him in any way, shape, form or fashion...just so we're all clear here.
 
Lostplanetairman:

Any word on what's happening with the Spirit FA's? Rumor is that they've been furloughed as of today.

Keep up the good fight and give'em hell!
 
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