ALPA Vs. Spirit
03-17-2009, 01:35 PM
#431
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: F-4 Wild Weasel
Posts: 361
Release #SPA09.03
March 17, 2009
Spirit Airlines Pilots Score Major Arbitration Victory
Decision Enforces Work Rule and Quality-of-Life Contract Provisions
Miramar, Fla.—Spirit Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today hailed an arbitration panel decision that orders Spirit management to abide by the current collective bargaining agreement.
The ruling mandates that Spirit management allow pilots up to five days off (but no fewer than four days) between scheduled trips, which may last up to six days. These days off were negotiated into the contract to give pilots hard-earned rest and time to spend with their families between what are often long absences from home.
In August, the company scheduled pilots for consecutive trips with as few as two days rest, in direct conflict with the contract’s days-off provision. Due to continuous base closures and changes, many pilots do not live near Spirit Airlines’ Detroit or Ft. Lauderdale bases and are forced to commute. As a result, the extended days-off period played a critical role in pilots’ quality of life.
“Quality of life is a priority for me and this pilot group,” said Capt. Sean Creed, chairman of the Spirit pilots’ chapter of ALPA, who has lived in Indiana for the past eight years, yet has had his base changed six times. “Since last August, I’ve been coming home from a six-day trip just in time for dinner, and I’ll be on a plane back to Fort Lauderdale the next morning. The arbitrators didn’t just give me back my days off; they gave me back my family.”
This decision by an arbitration panel comes as contract negotiations have reached a standstill. After two-and-a-half years, the pilot group is no closer to a new contract as management continues to demand unheard-of economic and quality-of-life concessions. Management has also chosen to disregard key provisions of the existing contract and has forced the pilots to take unpaid hours to fight for contract compliance. In addition, the company has been slow to set up arbitration dates or provide enough dates to deal with the huge backlog of interpretive disputes that have accumulated since Spirit began its offensive against the contract last summer.
“This is a major victory for this pilot group,” continued Capt. Creed. “We have not only won the day, we’ve sent a clear message to this management: We will fight for our contract and our airline—and we will win.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union and represents 52,250 pilots at 35 airlines in the U.S. and Canada , including more than 500 pilots at Spirit Airlines. Visit the ALPA website at ALPA - Home.
March 17, 2009
Spirit Airlines Pilots Score Major Arbitration Victory
Decision Enforces Work Rule and Quality-of-Life Contract Provisions
Miramar, Fla.—Spirit Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today hailed an arbitration panel decision that orders Spirit management to abide by the current collective bargaining agreement.
The ruling mandates that Spirit management allow pilots up to five days off (but no fewer than four days) between scheduled trips, which may last up to six days. These days off were negotiated into the contract to give pilots hard-earned rest and time to spend with their families between what are often long absences from home.
In August, the company scheduled pilots for consecutive trips with as few as two days rest, in direct conflict with the contract’s days-off provision. Due to continuous base closures and changes, many pilots do not live near Spirit Airlines’ Detroit or Ft. Lauderdale bases and are forced to commute. As a result, the extended days-off period played a critical role in pilots’ quality of life.
“Quality of life is a priority for me and this pilot group,” said Capt. Sean Creed, chairman of the Spirit pilots’ chapter of ALPA, who has lived in Indiana for the past eight years, yet has had his base changed six times. “Since last August, I’ve been coming home from a six-day trip just in time for dinner, and I’ll be on a plane back to Fort Lauderdale the next morning. The arbitrators didn’t just give me back my days off; they gave me back my family.”
This decision by an arbitration panel comes as contract negotiations have reached a standstill. After two-and-a-half years, the pilot group is no closer to a new contract as management continues to demand unheard-of economic and quality-of-life concessions. Management has also chosen to disregard key provisions of the existing contract and has forced the pilots to take unpaid hours to fight for contract compliance. In addition, the company has been slow to set up arbitration dates or provide enough dates to deal with the huge backlog of interpretive disputes that have accumulated since Spirit began its offensive against the contract last summer.
“This is a major victory for this pilot group,” continued Capt. Creed. “We have not only won the day, we’ve sent a clear message to this management: We will fight for our contract and our airline—and we will win.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union and represents 52,250 pilots at 35 airlines in the U.S. and Canada , including more than 500 pilots at Spirit Airlines. Visit the ALPA website at ALPA - Home.
03-17-2009, 05:52 PM
#434
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2009
Posts: 148
Case in point...Recently, I flew the "pilot shuttle" from DTW to FLL with TWO Spirit jumpseaters in the cockpit. We started talking about how none of us FO's can pay our bills on 72-75 hours per month, and how its disgraceful that some folks have no concern for how LOW first officer pay (and Captain pay for that matter) is at this company.
This senior captain I was flying with looked at me and the two FOs seated behind me, and said, "I really don't see anything wrong with picking up open time if you were use to getting 90 hours a month before the furloughs. I need 100 hours a month personally." He was being serious!!!
Another Captain said to me recently, "I'll be dam##d if I'm gonna go on strke so PO's boys (IFL and other freight guys) can get a raise. I've been in this business too long to see light turboprop guys with bad attitudes try to tell us senior guys how to run an airline."
I tell ya what...I've gotten to the point where I call these guys out. I just tell them what they are doing is scre##ng all of us. That's all that needs to be said. No need to harp on it, just put it out there and tell these people how it is.
True story...truly pathetic. Editorial ended.
03-18-2009, 05:01 AM
#436
Banned
Joined APC: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,857
Probably not Angel, but Alpo has a valid point. We, not only us, but industry wide, have the worse of the two..
CA's that can't see past their wallets and their greed, and FO's that we keep taking jobs a misery level of pay.
I have to agree with Alpo, that if we had the full support of Senior staff to raise the FO's salaries, we could actually accomplish that.
And if we stop showing up for interviews, CO's may get the msg. that until they reconsider their pay, nobody will work for them.
Now, REAL life has shown us otherwise.
Indoctrination, should star at flight schools, in how to market yourself, but having Comm. Co's hiring ppl with barely a CPL MEL, 250 -500 hrs avg. We are always gonna have this problem.
Entry level salaries in 90 % of US CO's are going to be the lowest possible, since CO's know you need a job, and they also know you'll do it for the CA's salary reward at an avg. of 7-10 yr upgrade.
I hope no to be way wrong here.
CA's that can't see past their wallets and their greed, and FO's that we keep taking jobs a misery level of pay.
I have to agree with Alpo, that if we had the full support of Senior staff to raise the FO's salaries, we could actually accomplish that.
And if we stop showing up for interviews, CO's may get the msg. that until they reconsider their pay, nobody will work for them.
Now, REAL life has shown us otherwise.
Indoctrination, should star at flight schools, in how to market yourself, but having Comm. Co's hiring ppl with barely a CPL MEL, 250 -500 hrs avg. We are always gonna have this problem.
Entry level salaries in 90 % of US CO's are going to be the lowest possible, since CO's know you need a job, and they also know you'll do it for the CA's salary reward at an avg. of 7-10 yr upgrade.
I hope no to be way wrong here.
03-18-2009, 09:00 AM
#439
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: 319/320/321...whatever it takes.
Posts: 492
"The ruling mandates that Spirit management allow pilots up to five days off (but no fewer than four days) between scheduled trips, which may last up to six days. These days off were negotiated into the contract to give pilots hard-earned rest and time to spend with their families between what are often long absences from home."
I hope the company doesn't get it in their head that they can't give us more than 5 days off in a row. From how this is worded, this seems a possibility. The "up to 5 days", I hope, is not in the arbitration. I read it I just can't remember right now.
I hope the company doesn't get it in their head that they can't give us more than 5 days off in a row. From how this is worded, this seems a possibility. The "up to 5 days", I hope, is not in the arbitration. I read it I just can't remember right now.
03-18-2009, 03:52 PM
#440
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Position: A320 CA
Posts: 944
I ABSOLUTELY agree Sailor, but there are too many guys (especially senior captains) that just don't get the big picture.
Case in point...Recently, I flew the "pilot shuttle" from DTW to FLL with TWO Spirit jumpseaters in the cockpit. We started talking about how none of us FO's can pay our bills on 72-75 hours per month, and how its disgraceful that some folks have no concern for how LOW first officer pay (and Captain pay for that matter) is at this company.
This senior captain I was flying with looked at me and the two FOs seated behind me, and said, "I really don't see anything wrong with picking up open time if you were use to getting 90 hours a month before the furloughs. I need 100 hours a month personally." He was being serious!!!
Another Captain said to me recently, "I'll be dam##d if I'm gonna go on strke so PO's boys (IFL and other freight guys) can get a raise. I've been in this business too long to see light turboprop guys with bad attitudes try to tell us senior guys how to run an airline."
I tell ya what...I've gotten to the point where I call these guys out. I just tell them what they are doing is scre##ng all of us. That's all that needs to be said. No need to harp on it, just put it out there and tell these people how it is.
True story...truly pathetic. Editorial ended.
Case in point...Recently, I flew the "pilot shuttle" from DTW to FLL with TWO Spirit jumpseaters in the cockpit. We started talking about how none of us FO's can pay our bills on 72-75 hours per month, and how its disgraceful that some folks have no concern for how LOW first officer pay (and Captain pay for that matter) is at this company.
This senior captain I was flying with looked at me and the two FOs seated behind me, and said, "I really don't see anything wrong with picking up open time if you were use to getting 90 hours a month before the furloughs. I need 100 hours a month personally." He was being serious!!!
Another Captain said to me recently, "I'll be dam##d if I'm gonna go on strke so PO's boys (IFL and other freight guys) can get a raise. I've been in this business too long to see light turboprop guys with bad attitudes try to tell us senior guys how to run an airline."
I tell ya what...I've gotten to the point where I call these guys out. I just tell them what they are doing is scre##ng all of us. That's all that needs to be said. No need to harp on it, just put it out there and tell these people how it is.
True story...truly pathetic. Editorial ended.
ALPO,
I understand your frustration. I can tell you that from everyone I have spoken with these Captains are the very small minority here. I have flown with some of the most senior pilots here in the last few months, and have been impressed by their attitudes and selflessness towards our common goal here. There are a few, like the two you described, that are out only for themselves. You will not change their thinking so it is best to just leave them alone. Their negativity does not seem to be spreading through the group, and most of us will not listen to their anti-union, anti-SPA ALPA rhetoric.
Blue Skies,
CS26
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