WDET News
- Spirit Pilots Picket
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Oct 9, 2008General - Link to Audio
Like most airlines…Spirit has been hit hard by slowing demand and rising fuel prices. And like their peers…Spirit has had to make changes to their operations to compensate. The airline was founded in Michigan and up until recently…many of its pilots were based here. But now they fly out of Fort Lauderdale to save money. Pilots say the company has disregarded long standing provisions of their contract. Captain Shawn Creed chairs the Spirit unit of the Airline Pilots Association.
“A vast majority of our pilots live here in Detroit. You know the decision to move the crew base to Fort Lauderdale meant for a lot guys…with the depressed economy here that if they wanted to leave Michigan which most of them don’t…then they can’t sell there house. It’s a reality here. And if they do sell it, it’s a complete loss…we don’t get any assistance from our company. It’s a situation that untenable for our pilots.”
Creed says he hopes the airline will start bargaining in good faith. He says it can’t be a one way street. The airline did not return calls for comment.