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June 15, 2010 – Spirit Airlines
pilots went on strike 5:01 AM on Saturday morning as a result of
contract breakdowns, Spirit pilots want a fair and equitable contract.
The pilots are seventy-two hours into their strike, Spirit pilots aren’t
flinching with high turnouts of picketers in Detroit, Fort Lauderdale,
and Atlantic City compelled to walk the line. Flights have so far been
cancelled through Thursday. Talks are set to resume today, at the
request of the National Mediation Board. They were, of course, joined by a number of supporters; fellow ALPA members, family, and friends, and other union workers. The camaraderie among the groups is electric and continues to feed the energy needed to stay unified and stay strong. In Detroit, as seven Spirit Airbuses sat empty at a hangar less than a mile from nearly deserted ticket counters, Spirit’s strikers were out in high spirits. Nearly 100 pilots, flight attendants, and family members walked the line in solidarity. It was the biggest group so far in DTW, exceeding even the 92 walkers who picketed in the dark before Friday’s midnight deadline. “I’m overwhelmed by this. This is the way it should be,” DTW F/O Rep Carlos Cueto told the crowd. “By your being out here every day, we drive this process and we keep control. And that’s a powerful thing.” |
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ALPA pilot groups providing support in DTW on Day 2 included Continental, Delta, Pinnacle, Eagle, and ExpressJet. In |
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In
Within sight of
three shuttered Spirit planes, engines covered and neatly parked in a
row, the Spirit pilots stood proudly in the designated picketing area
with their strike signs. Capt. David Morlando, Spirit Council 18
chairman, said, “Our guys are in this for the long haul, and we know
pilots from other carriers are watching us closely, rooting for our
success.” He added, “It is encouraging to have crewmembers from AirTran
(the only other airline serving ACY) and charter operations take the
time to cross the airport roadway to shake our hands and tell us they
support the Spirit pilots 100 percent.”
Spirit Airlines
flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight
Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), announced on Monday their support for the
carrier’s pilots' fight for a fair contract. In a Statement of Support,
the Spirit AFA-CWA Master Executive Council (MEC) overwhelmingly pledged
their support to the pilots for a successful conclusion to current
negotiations. "Spirit flight attendants are committed to assisting our
pilots in achieving the best contract possible," stated the Spirit
AFA-CWA MEC. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 11,500 pilots of American Airlines, expressed support for the pilots of Spirit Airlines following the recent declaration of an impasse in contract negotiations with that carrier’s management. “We are well acquainted with the challenge our Spirit Airlines colleagues face,” said APA President Captain Lloyd Hill. “They are dealing with a management team engaged in delay tactics and intent on extracting further employee concessions, which has unfortunately become a familiar refrain throughout the airline industry. “As professional aviators, we cannot permit the industry-wide ‘race to the bottom’ mentality that prevailed during much of the past decade to continue,” he said. “We therefore pledge our support to the pilots of Spirit Airlines as they attempt to conclude their contract negotiations amicably and without inconvenience to the airline’s customers.” |
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