Nice theory but it just doesn't fit. This melt down has been developing for well over a month. Do you really think that that relief was never asked for in all that time? Are we to believe that all the deal makers were not available on the eve of shutting down the airline and the waiving of section 25 caused an instantaneous reaction restoting us to only a 1% cancelation in 12 hours.

I dont think so.

We entrusted Ackerman with the administration of our CBA and he opened the floodgates to recalls and division.

If JA had come out and said "we gave them relief but every pilot affected will get 200% for the entire trip." Would we be having this discussion?

Of course not. That would be a good business deal but would still require a vote.

Missed opportunity to sign a deal that gave us:

- $5000 (or other amount) year-end bonus payout per pilot. Or...

- 200 shares (or other amount) of SAVE per pilot. Or...

- 25% (or other percentage) of each pilot's monthly credit of June added to the paycheck. Or...

- One time end-of-year profit sharing payout based on standard formulas.

The possibilities are endless. But what did we get again? I hear we are to sit tight and wait....should we?

We should always use our leverage to our advantage. Distance learning TA should have been included in the new contractual language if management wanted it so badly. Emergency Relief given only after ALPA and the company Ink a TA for the new contract with significant pay raises. Why are we always giving this leverage up for free?

ditto




filler

So I don't work at spirit, but could someone breakdown in plain language what happened?

Operation melted down - lots of crew and aircraft out of position lead to flights canceling. Crew out of position for their original trip were perhaps in position for a recovery, but couldn't get through to the company - 2.5 hour holds to talk to them. SPA ALPA granted temporary 5 day relief from sections of the CBA to help get the operation back on track.

Debate exists over whether SPA ALPA should have given relief, who gave the relief, how relief was given, what SPA ALPA got in exchange for it, and if SPA ALPA leadership had the authority to give said relief.

Debate also exists over why the operation melted down. Management blames it on "weather". Others think contributing factors could include outsourcing of staff, lean operations, understaffed departments, poor leadership, the lack of a new FA CBA, the lack of a new pilot CBA, etc.

That's the short and sweet of it.

It's a damn catastrophe is what it is. It never should've gotten to this level. Our gate agents should've never been outsourced, our rampers should've stayed with us too. The flight attendants should've had a new contract by now, and management is trying to operate on pennies. All of this is driven by the need to keep costs as low as possible. This is NOT the way to run an airline that wants to be 300+ planes and be taken seriously.