Hiflyer From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 2117 posts, RR: 4 Posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1448 times:
Spirit accuses pilots of sickout, but union denies it
By Jaclyn Giovis | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
August 14, 2008
Spirit Airlines passengers are starting to feel the effects of growing labor tensions at the Miramar-based carrier.
A Spirit spokeswoman said Wednesday that a small group of disgruntled pilots are "illegally calling in sick" in an effort to disrupt the airline's operations.
That contributed to at least five flights being canceled Monday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a situation that inconvenienced many passengers, spokeswoman Misty Pinson said. Fort Lauderdale airport spokesman Greg Meyer said a total of eight Spirit flights were canceled Monday.
A representative of the pilots' union rejected the airline's claim of a sickout.
Flyf15 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1254 times:
Spirit has had a horrible track record of how they've treated their pilots. Just look at what they did to all the DTW based ones with closing their base out of nowhere recently in a heavy handed attempt to break their will during contract negotiations. Spirit treats their pilots like crap, one of the worst airlines in the industry when it comes to it, how can they expect their pilots to treat them any better?
That all said, I doubt they're doing a sickout. Airlines usually have pretty harsh sick policies, especially the smaller carriers. These policies make it so pilots have to come in to work and fly sick when they really shouldn't. One pilot gets sick with something really nasty and easily transmitted, comes to work, gets a few other pilots sick who also come to work. Now you've got 3-4 pilots at work, sharing airplanes/cockpits/computers/door handles/etc with all the other pilots at the airline and next thing you know, for a week or two, you have a spike in sick calls.
Azjubilee From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 3554 posts, RR: 30 Reply 3, posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 16 hours ago) and read 980 times:
This is typical airline mgmt. Play the blame game and completely ignore the root of the problems that are driving delays, cancelations etc... Just like pulling the race/gender card has become all too convenient, airlines that pull the "illegal job action card" are grasping for straws. Jump on the band wagon! Who's next?
N587NK From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 298 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 911 times:
thats exactly right, and the same thing is happening with the F/As too. Furlough, furlough, furlough....but no reduction in flights. Management never screws up so they have to blame it on someone else!!!
JetBlueAtJFK From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1687 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 799 times:
Ha yea maybe management should think of how they got rid of so many pilots, yet continued to add flights to cities all over (some I've never even heard of). Just Spirit's way of blaming the cancelled flight on someone but themselves.
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