U.S. Spirit Airlines pilots strike for better wages, 2010

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After four years of inconclusive
negotiation between airlines and the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), pilots at Spirit Airlines went on strike demanding higher pay. They wanted
to be paid wages that were comparable to their competition at other airlines,
such as Jet Blue Airways and Airtran Airways.

On 12 June 2010, Spirit Airline pilots
walked out of work at 5:01 am, early Saturday morning. Pilots formed a picket
line and stood with signs that said, "Spirit Pilots on Strike." They
grounded all flights leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The airlines
awarded full refunds to passengers with $100 credit toward future
flights.

On 13 June 2010, thirty-six hours into
the strike, fellow ALPA members, family, friends, and other union workers
joined pilot picketers in solidarity. This fueled the strikers with more energy
and momentum as negotiations had not yet started.  A similar trend of growth was reported on 14 June 2010. The
number of picketers grew from 57 to 115 people.

Negotiations began on 15 June 2010. The
National Mediation Board attempted to reach a deal with Spirit pilot
negotiators and management in Fort Lauderdale. Meanwhile, the Master Executive
Council (MEC) of Spirit Airline, composed of pilots, maintained that they were
willing to negotiate whenever the management was ready. By this time, the
strike cost was adding up and continued passenger complaints, unsuccessful
flight rebooking on other airlines, and compensation packages took their toll.

Finally on 16 June 2010, even though
picket lines persisted in various cities, pilots agreed to resume flights on
Friday, 18 June 2010. A tentative agreement was reached between ALPA and Spirit
management that included better pay, retirement benefits, work rules that
acknowledged and rewarded any success a pilot made that contributed to the
company, and ensured job security at Spirit. According to the Air Transport
World magazine, the strike cost Spirit Airlines $19 million while the company
reported a loss of $2.8 million in the first six months of 2010.