On September 4, 2018, Spirit Airlines Guest Service Agents voted 125 to 28 to form a union under the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). 82% voted in favor of the union, with the expectation of improving safety, training, working conditions, benefits, job protection, and wages. The goal of our committee is to reach an agreement that provides our Agents with dignity and respect from management.
Over the past 14 months, your Union Negotiating Committee has worked tirelessly to achieve a contract our members will support and ratify. Unfortunately, management has come to the table offering little more than our current policies and offering language from the ramp agreement in place of our Committee’s proposals. During the last few negotiating sessions, management’s proposals have been dismissive and lacking the contract language our Agents rightfully deserve. Our expectation is for management to recognize us as Agents, not ramp workers.
We will not settle for anything less than what our hardworking GSA members deserve. We remain willing to meet anytime and anywhere, for as long as necessary, to achieve a long-overdue first contract for our Spirit members. In order to do so, we need a willing partner on the other side of the table. It is time for management to recognize our role in making the guest service experience a positive one, which in turn increases Spirit‘s profits. We are meeting internally in January to prepare for our negotiating dates with Spirit starting again in February.
So long as we stay unified and strong through these difficult times, we will be victorious!
Thank you all,
Mariluz Ramos, Gerwin Mucke, Tina Coolidge-Ulrich, Marcos Perez, and Laquisha Bryant