Thu, Jun 17, 2010
USAPA Members Walking Picket Lines With Spirit Crews
The US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), representing the
pilots of US Airways, said on Tuesday it fully supports Spirit
Airlines’ pilots, who initiated a strike this weekend over
what the union said are sub-par pay and working conditions. In
solidarity, some US Airways pilots joined Spirit pilots and other
airline crews on the picket line last week in advance of the
strike, which officially began on Saturday morning.
“US Airways pilots could not sympathize more with the
Spirit pilots, since the similarities in our conditions are
striking,” said USAPA President Mike Cleary. “Like us,
the Spirit pilots gave up pay, working conditions and benefits when
our managements needed to save our airlines. Like us, the Spirit
pilots have been working at the bottom of the industry pay scale
and without a pay raise for years. Like us, their management team
has dragged out contract talks for nearly four years. Like us,
their management is attempting to impose below-standard pay and
working conditions in the face of an improving economy.”
Spirit Airlines reported record profits last year of $83
million, ranking it as the most profitable U.S. airline by pre-tax
profit margin last year, but during contract negotiations
the union holds that the company is asking its pilots to
take concessions of $30 million. It says some Spirit pilots already
earn up to 40 percent less than airline pilots with similar jobs at
other carriers.
“We continue to say that now is the time to draw a line in
the sand with regard to passenger safety and worker respect,”
said Cleary. “No airline group enjoys disrupting passenger
travel, and we do everything possible to avoid striking. But under
U.S. laws strikes are the only work action available to us to help
achieve a fair contract. For too long the world’s carriers
have participated in a race to the bottom, demanding longer days
and contract concessions from already-strained crews, while they
continue to find the money for obscene management bonuses. The
public is finally becoming aware of the direct relationship between
overworked crews and safety.”
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