Looks like the open time and JA ban is over for now. Unless perhaps there are some 'vigilantes' willing to risk crossing a federal judge, we'll see. DALPA and APA have some experience in this area as I recall.
Spirit, pilots agree to extend court order barring slowdown as disruptions persist
May 11, 2017
Arlene Satchell
Sun Sentinel
As flight disruptions continued to hamper Spirit Airlines on Thursday, the company and its pilots union announced an agreement to indefinitely extend a court order barring a slowdown by members of its cockpit crews.
The agreement dictates that the pilots must restore “the status quo” while Spirit and the Air Line Pilots Association International continue federally mediated contract negotiations.
The restraining order will remain in effect until a collective bargaining agreement is signed and ratified or, if applicable, the parties are released from mediation by the National Mediation Board, Spirit said.
The unionized pilots are not on strike.
Since the initial order was granted Monday by a federal court in Fort Lauderdale, ALPA has petitioned the Spirit pilots to resume picking up open flying time, which is basically over time above their already scheduled flights.
“On behalf of our customers and fellow Spirit team members, we really appreciate the effort of our pilots who are taking on open flying to restore the operation,” said John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s chief operating officer.
On Monday, the low-cost carrier filed a lawsuit against the union and selected representatives alleging a week long pilots’ work slowdown had caused approximately 300 flight cancellations and displaced more than 20,000 customers.
The Miramar-based carrier said the slowdown resulted in about $8.5 million in lost revenue and caused “irreparable harm to its goodwill.”
Spirit alleged the pilots’ action was an attempt to influence current labor negotiations, and said it “reluctantly filed this suit to protect” its customers and operations.
On Tuesday, in communications to Spirit’s nearly 1,600 pilots, the union urged them to adhere to the court order and work to return the airline’s operations to normal.
“You must resume your normal working schedule and practices: pick up open time flying and accept junior assignment flying,” the ALPA notice said. “So that we are clear: you must immediately cease and desist from any concerted refusal to conduct pilot operations in the normal manner, including regarding picking up open time, accepting junior assignment flying and answering calls from crew scheduling, and to cease and desist from any and all other refusals to perform normal pilot operations.”
Spirit, pilots agree to extend court order barring slowdown as disruptions persist - Sun Sentinel