Spirit Airlines recruiting pilots

by B. N. Sullivan

Spirit Airlines is actively recruiting pilots to become First Officers on its Airbus A320 fleet.  According to a job notice on the Careers section of the Spirit Airlines Web site, the minimum requirements are:

• 4,000 hours total time in fixed wing aircraft.
• 1,000 hours in multi-engine aircraft (at least 50 hours flown within the last 12 months).
• Current FAA First Class Medical Certificate.
• Current Airline Transport Pilot License.
• Valid passport/documents with the ability to travel in and out of the USA and all cities/countries served by Spirit Airlines now and in the future.

Among the preferred qualificationss:

• A320 Type Rating
• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience in 121 airlines or turbojet aircraft.
• Experience in aircraft equipped with EFIS and/or FMS.

Follow this link to apply online.

Good Luck!

Catastrophic earthquake in Haiti disrupts air traffic

by B. N. Sullivan

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti shortly before 5:00 PM Local time on January 12, 2010. The initial quake was followed by numerous aftershocks. Early reports from the area indicate massive damage to buildings and infrastructure and innumerable casualties. In short, this appears to be a truly catastrophic natural disaster.

Air traffic between Haiti and the rest of the world has been disrupted. The last commercial flight to leave the island was American Airlines Flight AA 1908, which was reportedly boarding at Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) as the earthquake struck. The aircraft managed to depart about one hour later and safely completed its scheduled flight to Miami.

The Palm Beach Post interviewed a passenger from Flight AA 1908 after he arrived in Miami. The passenger said he had been inside the terminal at PAP when the earthquake struck.

“It felt like a plane had hit the building, that’s how strong it was,” he said as he emerged from Customs tonight about 9:15 p.m. “But it turned out to be an earthquake.”

He said passengers panicked.

The airline officials told the passengers to wait, but most those who had been scheduled to fly decided not to, he said.

“The airport building itself, was badly damaged, cracked,” he said. The lights went out.

When the flight finally took off, he looked down on the area surrounding the airport.

“I saw buildings that fell down,” he said. “There were some lights still on, but not everywhere. You could see helicopters flying to give help.”

The Wall Street Journal quoted an American Airlines spokeswoman who said that the PAP airport, which was damaged by the earthquake, was closed Tuesday night(Jan. 12) and would remain closed Wednesday (Jan. 13). She also said that 176 passengers had originally been scheduled to board Flight AA 1908, but that the majority "chose to stay behind" after the quake struck. In the end, only 49 passengers and 11 crew members flew to Miami on the Boeing 767 aircraft.

Spirit Airlines, which also flies between the U.S. and Haiti, issued a statement a short time ago, saying:

Spirit has cancelled Wednesday's flights between Fort Lauderdale and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and will reinstate service as soon as the airport is open.

Spirit is currently reaching out to first-responder organizations and other early-stage disaster relief resources/agencies in order to assist with transporting medical and other professionals, as well as equipment to Port-au-Prince as soon as we are able to operate flights to that airport in an effort to assist as much as possible until the U.S. government and larger relief and humanitarian organizations can gear up what is expected to be a major relief effort.

Several news reports have mentioned that the control tower at PAP was destroyed.

Spirit Airlines pilots vote to authorize strike

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents the pilots at Spirit Airlines, announced that they have been authorized by the pilots to call for a lawful withdrawal of services if stalled negotiations do not result in a new contract. Translation: a strike has been authorized.

ALPA says:

Of the nearly 95% of the eligible pilots who responded to the ballot, 98% voted in support of a withdrawal of services, if required. This authorization comes after two and a half years of fruitless negotiations and repeated contract violations by the company. The National Mediation Board (NMB) could release both sides into economic self-help after the expiration of a 30-day cooling-off period if it concludes that further mediated negotiations will not produce an agreement, at which point a strike could ensue.

“When we started negotiating, this pilot group was certain that the process would result in a fair contract,” said Capt. Sean Creed, chairman of the Spirit pilots union. “However, management’s refusal to abide by our current contract, followed by a demand for $5.3 million in concessions while announcing expansion plans, has destroyed this confidence and forged the unity demonstrated by this vote.”

“If this company put even half as much effort into trying to negotiate a fair agreement for its pilots as it did in developing crude advertising, we would have a new contract,” Capt. Creed continued. “This vote clearly shows that this pilot group is completely fed up with this approach and is now prepared to do whatever it takes to get the fair contract we deserve.”

[Photo Source]

Spirit Airlines pilots win arbitration decision on scheduling

An arbitration decision was issued recently in regard to a dispute between Spirit Airlines and its pilots over alleged contract violations. The System Board of Adjustment ruled in favor of the pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).

The decision orders Spirit's management to cease committing violations related to a contract provision commonly known to Spirit pilots as the 5/4 Rule, which allows commuting pilots to spend more time with their families. According to ALPA, this provision was originally negotiated based on priorities set by the pilots.

ALPA had alleged that Spirit Airlines was committing contract violations by shortchanging the number of days off that pilots receive after a scheduled sequence of trips. In accordance with ALPA’s collective bargaining agreement, pilots are entitled to receive up to five days off (but no less than four) after the conclusion of a sequence of trips with no intervening days off.

“The company decided it wouldn’t abide by this agreement in August,” commented ALPA Spirit MEC chairman Capt. Sean Creed. “Since then, we have been working to get back what is ours. After over two-and-a-half years of negotiations and contract violation after contract violation, this win means a lot to this group. It also sends a clear message to our management: we will fight for our contract, and we will win!”

Here's the link to the System Board of Adjustment decision - 39-page 'pdf' file

Spirit Airlines and its pilots have been battling on several fronts for a considerable period of time (see list of related articles below). In early September of 2008, the pilots sued Spirit Airlines, claiming multiple violations of the Railway Labor Act by the carrier's management.

RELATED:

• Spirit Airlines pilots claim contract violations - July 9, 2007
• Labor tensions grow between Spirit Airlines and its pilots - Aug. 15, 2008
• With union support, Spirit Airlines pilots vow to 'force this company back on track' - Aug. 25, 2008
• Pilots' union files suit against Spirit Airlines - Sep. 5, 2008
• Spirit Airlines -- At war with its crews? - Jan. 27, 2009

Spirit Airlines flight attendants file for federal mediation of talks

The latest manifestation of the ongoing poor relations between Spirit Airlines crew members and management: The flight attendants at Spirit Airlines are filing for federal mediation of their contract negotiations.  The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), which represents Spirit's cabin crew, will file their petition tomorrow with the National Mediation Board (NMB).

The present contract between Spirit and the flight attendants became amendable in November of 2007. Although union representatives and Spirit management have met several times since then, union officials say that the carrier's management "continues to come to the table without a single proposal." The union has requested a federal mediator  in order to obtain management's active participation in the negotiations process, as required by statute.

"After continued negotiations, little progress has been made and management continues to be disrespectful at the bargaining table," said Deborah Crowley, AFA-CWA Spirit President. "For the second time this year, airline management has come to the table unprepared and it is time that their stall tactics and inconsiderate behavior come to an end. We look forward to having the NMB appoint a mediator who will help move negotiations forward."

Spirit Airlines -- At war with its crews?

by B. N. Sullivan

The management at Spirit Airlines has managed to tick off both its pilots and its flight attendants this week -- badly enough that the unions representing both groups have come out publicly in their defense. Yesterday the pilots' union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), announced their rejection of the airline's latest contract proposal, which they say demands "harsh concessions" in pay, benefits and work rules. Then earlier today, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), representing Spirit's cabin crew, issued a scathing statement accusing the airline's management of offensive advertising practices that demean and degrade flight attendants.

The Pilots

Many pilots at Spirit Airlines believe their contract already is the worst in the U.S. airline industry, but the latest tipping point comes in the wake of the airline's recently announced plans plans to expand service in the Caribbean and U.S. The pilots are incensed that, at the same time the company plans to spend millions on expansion, the latest contract proposal offered to the pilots calls for $5.8 million in concessions, "with additional concessions imposed if dramatic cuts to benefits are taken into account."

"The company has repeatedly asked the pilot group to fund their blunders and now they want us to finance their expansions," said Captain Sean Creed, chairman of ALPA's Spirit Airlines unit. "We want this company to succeed and grow, but not at the cost of our families and our careers."

In addition, says ALPA, the new proposal states that pilots who are injured while on duty would be ineligible for worker’s compensation unless they can show that they are incapable of performing any job at the company "from secretary to janitor." Captain upgrades would also "be based on management’s subjective assessment of the pilot’s personality." If this is so, who can blame the pilots for losing their patience?

The Flight Attendants

The flight attendants -- whose contract negotiations recently resumed after many months of stagnation -- are insulted and angry that they are being asked to become "walking billboards" by wearing inflight aprons bearing the logos of alcoholic beverages. I see their point:

"Turning flight attendants into walking billboards is unacceptable," said Deborah Crowley, AFA-CWA Spirit President. "The proposed aprons diminish the primary and federally mandated role of flight attendants as safety professionals and our role as first responders onboard."

Flight attendants have a statutory obligation to enforce Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations regarding intoxicated passengers. Inflight aprons that prominently display a logo from an alcoholic beverage company send the wrong signal to passengers and diminish the ability of flight attendants to enforce vital safety and security regulations and procedures onboard.

The flight attendants also take issue with recent advertising that they see as degrading and demeaning. (I have seen the sleazy, sophomoric ads, and believe me, the flight attendants are not imagining things!)

"I feel as though I have entered a time warp and am reliving the battles for respect and justice for women that we fought for 40 years ago," said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. "Several promotional fare ads, with their not very subtle innuendos, are demeaning not to just the hardworking flight attendants at Spirit Airlines but to all of America's professional flight attendants. They offend not just the female population of this country but the male members of humanity who admire and respect women."

The flight attendants' union has formally requested that Spirit management withdraw the demeaning advertising campaigns and "replace them with professional and respectful messaging."

Spirit Airlines, which bills itself as an Ultra Low Cost Carrier, has long been at odds with its crews, who have been complaining of contract violations at least since mid-2007. The mutual disrespect between Spirit management and the pilots continued through 2008, culminating (we thought) with the pilots filing suit against the airline in September of 2008. That suit claimed multiple violations of the Railway Labor Act, the law that governs labor relations in the airline industry.

I smell a strike in the offing if labor relations at Spirit Airlines don't improve very soon.

[Photo Source]

Pilots' union files suit against Spirit Airlines

Yesterday, Spirit Airlines was sued by its pilots' union. The pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, claiming multiple violations of the Railway Labor Act, the law that governs labor relations in the airline industry.

According to an ALPA news release about the suit against Spirit Airlines, the legal filing alleges that the company has engaged in a pattern of unlawful behavior by:

• negotiating in bad faith with ALPA
• unilaterally imposing a series of changes in rates of pay, rules, and working conditions through bad-faith application of the contract
• attempting to coerce and intimidate pilots by undermining their union
• and seeking to circumvent the collective bargaining process as a whole

ALPA, which represents more than 500 Spirit pilots, says:

In May, Spirit Airlines announced furloughs of 30 percent of the active pilots; 45 on August 1 and 70 on September 1. Despite this reduction in staff, the company made no attempt to make a commensurate reduction in flights. Instead, the company has repeatedly violated the contract in an effort to compensate for its poor decision making and self-inflicted pilot shortage. By unilaterally changing and ignoring clear contractual rules and long-standing work practices, as well as commitments made in bargaining, the company has tried to run roughshod over the pilots, their contract, and the collective bargaining process.

"Enough is enough," said Capt. John Prater, president of ALPA. "Over the last few months, Spirit pilots have withstood every contract violation and every form of harassment that this management could throw at them. Since the company refuses to honor the contract, we are asking a court to force them to, and treat these pilots and our union with the respect we deserve."

Spirit Airlines management says that the recent changes to work rules other 'initiatives' were developed in response to unprecedented economic and airline industry conditions. In a statement to the press, Spirit Airlines President and CEO Ben Baldanza said:

"Each of the changes is permitted under the existing collective bargaining agreement. We understand that some of our pilots are unhappy about the changes but, in our view, the work rule adjustments are critically necessary in these challenging times for the well being of the company and our employees. Each issue is being negotiated in already scheduled arbitrations or in our ongoing collective bargaining under supervision of a Federal mediator.

"As everyone knows, the economics of our industry have changed dramatically, as the result of a doubling in fuel prices over the past year and the recession in the United States," added Baldanza. "Our decision to discontinue certain less efficient practices within the bounds of our existing agreement is just one part of a company-wide range of initiatives aimed at improving revenues and reducing costs. These changes help to ensure the company's continued ability to compete, grow, and protect our employees' jobs."

Spirit Airlines pilots disagree with Baldanza's view. They have been claiming for more than a year that the carrier has been violating the terms of their contract. More recently, Spirit Airlines management tried to blame its pilots for flight cancellations, while the pilots contend that the heart of the airline's problems are the service, planning, and staffing failures for which management alone is responsible.

"Spirit pilots are working harder than ever to meet the demands of this airline," said Capt. Sean Creed, chair of the Spirit unit of ALPA. "It’s unfortunate that the actions of a misguided management team have forced us to take this step to protect our profession, our contract, and our airline."

With union support, Spirit Airlines pilots vow to 'force this company back on track'

The pilots at U.S. low fare carrier Spirit Airlines have been at odds with the airline's management for some time -- and that's putting it mildly. For more than a year, the pilots have been accusing the airline's management of contract violations. More recently, the situation deteriorated further when, among other things, pilots who legitimately called in sick or fatigued were being disciplined and threatened with job loss by Spirit Airlines management. Now the pilots' union is formally stepping in "to support the Spirit pilots and their efforts to fight against the irresponsible actions of Spirit management."

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has authorized a $2 million grant to the Spirit Airlines pilots. According to the union, the grant from ALPA's Major Contingency Fund will fund "training, education, and activities that will shine a spotlight on the activities of Spirit's increasingly out-of-touch management with its workforce, its customers, and its business model."

The pilots contend that, in the two years since Ben Baldanza and his management team took the helm at Spirit Airlines, they have repeatedly disregarded labor contracts and blamed the pilots for service, planning, and staffing failures for which management alone is responsible.

"From the often offensive advertising campaigns to the unethical treatment of their employees, management's actions have destroyed much of the reputation and customer base of Spirit Airlines," said Capt. Sean Creed, chair of the Spirit unit of ALPA. "With the backing of our national union, we will work to restore the proud tradition of Spirit airlines that we helped build and make it a great place to work and a great airline to fly.

"Baldanza appears to be intent on destroying Spirit Airlines," Capt. Creed continued. "Since the investors seem unwilling to rein him in, it's up to the employees to force this company back on track."

This is not the first time in recent months that ALPA's Executive Board has granted money from the union's Major Contingency Fund to one of its units for the purpose of responding to what the pilots see as threats to the pilot profession and to their careers. In May of this year, ALPA announced allocations of $5 million each to the ALPA units at United Airlines and Continental Airlines. At that time ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, warned airline managements to include pilots in their business planning, stating, "Those who try to exclude us will fail. We are airline pilots who are determined and committed to restoring our contracts as the foundation of our profession."

[Photo Source]

Labor tensions grow between Spirit Airlines and its pilots

Spirit Airlines had to cancel a number of flights earlier this week. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale station CBS 4 reported that the airline attributed the cancellations to "a combination of bad weather, pilots not wanting to work overtime, and 'operation issues' that they say caused a domino effect of canceled flights."

Meanwhile, the pilots' union said it's not the pilots' fault. Here is what the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) had to say on August 12, 2008 about the situation:

"The situation at Spirit Airlines has been deteriorating, and today’s flight cancellations are just one more indication of management’s inability to manage its operations effectively during this turbulent time for the airline industry. Despite management’s attempt to pin the blame on pilots for recent flight cancellations, a more accurate explanation can be placed on management’s decision to downsize the pilot group by 30 percent without corresponding adjustments in its fleet and flight schedule.

"In mid-July, the company announced that it had furloughed 45 pilots with an additional 70-plus pilots to be furloughed in September. However, the company has yet to scale back its operations or number of flights to compensate for the loss of pilots. In order to cover the gap, Spirit management has chosen to violate its contract with the pilots by refusing to obey by staffing and scheduling provisions.

"Management’s new rules have left most Spirit pilots maxed-out on the number of flight hours they can fly under Federal law. It has also made it nearly impossible for pilots to take on additional flying that would satisfy the number of flights operated by Spirit Airlines."

Fast forward a couple of days to August 14. Now we learn from ALPA that Spirit Airlines is harassing any pilot who calls in sick or fatigued. ALPA says that Spirit pilots who call in sick are facing "invasive investigations and possible disciplinary actions."

The union cites an instance in which a pilot called in sick and was required to take an ambulance to a company-selected doctor for examination. The doctor confirmed that the pilot was indeed sick and gave the pilot a note declaring that he shouldn’t fly for five days because of his medical condition. Nonetheless, the company subsequently "issued a harassing notice of investigation to the pilot in reaction to his sick call," says ALPA.

ALPA says that Spirit Airlines pilots are not engaging in any kind of organized "sick-in." Capt. Sean Creed, MEC chair of the Spirit unit of ALPA, said, "As in any other profession, employees get sick, and are permitted to stay home to recover. Any reputable company respects the need for sick time—without making unwarranted and absurd accusations that the employees are conspiring against the company."

So let's see, we have an airline that reduced its pilot force, but not its flying schedule. That probably means the only way the schedule can be maintained is if no pilots are ever absent from their assigned trips for any reason -- including being genuinely sick, or just too tired to fly safely. Fewer pilots on the same number of trips also suggests that the airline is relying on pilots to volunteer frequently to pick up extra trips on what should be their days off. This sounds like poor manpower planning at the least, and pilot pushing at worst. Sooner or later some pilots are going to get sick, or burned out with exhaustion.

If this is beginning to sound familiar, it's because Spirit Airlines is hardly the only carrier to engage in this practice of pressuring crews to come to work, even if they are ill or fatigued. Let's hope that Spirit Airlines refrains from going the route of United Airlines, which recently filed suit against its pilots. In that case, United also crabbed about pilots working according to the terms of their valid contract, and refusing to pick up extra trips on their legal days off.

Earth to airline management: Pilots sometimes get sick. They very often get tired. They aren't required to fly on their days off -- that's why they're called days off. If you have fewer pilots than needed to fly the schedule, that's not the pilots' fault.

[Photo Source]

Spirit Airlines pilots claim contract violations

Pilots at Spirit Airlines are angry. They claim that the airline's management is forcing pilots to work longer hours on international routes in violation of contractual limits. Worse yet, the pilots are not being appropriately compensated.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing the pilots, explains the situation for pilots at Spirit Airlines:

Spirit pilots stepped up to help the company with a concessionary contract in 2003 that was designed to allow Spirit to survive and grow. At that time the Company demanded that Caribbean and Latin American flying be treated as domestic flying, thereby allowing the company to avoid paying international overrides to pilots performing such assignments. To protect pilots from fatigue and enhance the safety of Spirit operations, the union insisted that in agreeing with the demands, the company had to follow domestic hours of service rules, which are more restrictive than international hours of service rules. This system has worked for more than three years.

Now, in the face of its self-inflicted staffing shortage, Spirit management insists that it can require pilots flying into the Caribbean or Latin America to perform additional flying pursuant to international hours of service rules, but still deny them the international override.

“This is a case of the company wishing to have its cake and it eat too,” said Captain Matt Nowell, head of Spirit ALPA unit, “but our pilots are not interested in being played for saps in this fashion and ALPA will fight this absurd violation in every forum necessary, seeking full redress for any member affected.”

Along with demanding that pilots fly additional hours under international rules while refusing to pay for it, Spirit Airlines management is also circumventing the union and its contract on the domestic front by trying to persuade Spirit pilots, who already fly more than most legacy carriers, to risk fatigue by flying more. The Spirit pilots’ contract contains specific limits on how many times you can be ordered to fly when you are not scheduled to do so (i.e. junior manned). The company is trying to persuade pilots to circumvent these limits and ALPA by offering pay incentives not negotiated with the union.

ALPA says that "it is disappointing that Spirit Airlines has followed the example of Northwest Airlines’ recent fiasco with respect to inadequate staffing and pressuring pilots to bypass contractual protections and limits."

Contract negotiations between Spirit Airlines and the pilots' union have been underway for more than 10 months.

[Photo Source]