February 28, 2026
Participants for AMFA
Earl Clark – Region I Director
Wilber “Will” Abbott – Region II Director
Jason Salazar – Airline Representative
Lucas Middlebrook – Legal Counsel
Peter Manikowski – Economist
Participants for Spirit Airlines
Robert Jones – Vice President, Labor Relations
James Montgomery – Sr. Director, Maintenance Ops.
Joe Harmon – Sr. Manager, Maintenance
Kimberly Maya – Human Resources
Tabitha Rybacki – Paralegal
Stefanie Mederos – Outside Legal Counsel
The AMFA-Spirit Negotiating Committee (the “Committee”) is providing this update to the Membership at Spirit Airlines (“Spirit”). This is the only official source of negotiating communications by the Committee.
The Parties held a three-day bargaining session, February 17-19, 2026, at Spirit Headquarters in Dania Beach, FL. This was our twelfth session with the NMB mediators. During this bargaining session, we continued our discussions with the Company representatives on the status of the bankruptcy, scheduling of future sessions, and bargaining on the outstanding articles toward the first CBA. As noted in our January update, your AMFA representatives were impressed with the progress made and the momentum building from the January meeting. Unfortunately, in AMFA’s opinion, the Company unnecessarily slowed bargaining progress during this session.
The Parties have been bargaining for over three years, and AMFA believes it is past time for the Company to do right by you and recognize your hard work by aligning quickly on non-controversial and non-economic items. You have weathered the operational and bankruptcy storm in service to the Company. The Company must recognize your dedication and cease all further delay.
On Day 1, the Company presented a counterproposal on Article 7 - Holidays that brought the Parties closer to alignment on those issues, but when we saw the Company’s proposal included capping “holiday pay” for a holiday-not-worked at eight hours, we knew such a proposal constituted a roll-back from the current practice of paying for a holiday-not-worked as a full shift.
The Parties then caucused and returned in joint session for the Company to present Article 6 – Overtime for the first time. The Company’s proposal struck all of AMFA’s references to double-time and proposed rotating overtime lists instead of AMFA’s preferred overtime equalization.
The Parties caucused for the remainder of the day, during which AMFA began preparing a counterproposal on Article 7 - Holidays, and we reviewed our prior proposals on certain Articles to determine if we should update them from where they were last passed over two years ago. AMFA held its position on the issue of what happens when an employee might be sick when scheduled to work on a holiday. Your Committee’s position is that this should be treated as a holiday-not-worked and your sick hours not charged. The Company wants to charge sick hours and not pay the holiday.
On Day 2, we presented our next counterproposal on Article 7 - Holidays, aligning with the Company on the number of Holidays and Floating Holidays and how they can be used. Some issues remained open.
Your Committee then made a counterproposal on Article 6 - Overtime, moving to some areas of alignment with the Company but maintaining our Overtime multipliers. Because the Company stated they could not manage an overtime equalization procedure in each bid location, we aligned on rotating lists with a strong structure to prevent favoritism and promote fairness in the overtime call-out procedures. AMFA also took the position that if you work for more than sixteen consecutive hours for the Company and then take eight hours of rest, such rest should be paid when it overlaps with your next shift. The Company does not want to pay for the overlapping rest.
The Parties also formalized the Tentative Agreement (TA) on Article 12 – Reduction in Force and Recall from the January session.
On Day 3, the Company presented another counterproposal on Holidays aligning on minor issues, but the major issues remained outstanding. After a caucus and internal review, upon recognition the Company was stubbornly attached to its positions, the open issues in this Article were tabled. We passed Article 28 - Union Representation as a standalone Article with no changes from our Comprehensive proposal of August 2023.
As a last formal proposal of Day 3, we made a proposal on Article 18 – Retirement Benefits which, if agreed, would codify the current 401(k) program, make enrollment in the 401(k) program automatic and make minor eligibility changes for retiree pass travel. The Parties then engaged in a challenging off-the-record discussion about how to proceed.
We share your frustration with respect to the Company’s bargaining tactics, which do not appear to demonstrate any dedication to the remaining Spirit AMTs who now number less than 350. The Parties should be fast-tracking non-controversial and non-economic items at this stage of negotiations.
We, brothers and sisters, are dedicated to keeping this carrier flying safely on a well-maintained fleet, setting aside the distractions of the carrier’s multiple bankruptcies when we go to work each day. As a minimum showing of gratitude, at the bargaining table, the Company should be taking care of us with a solid CBA that provides respectable working terms we have earned – not, for example, grinding us over lowering $100 holiday-not-worked pay we are already paid.
The next mediated session is scheduled for March 24-26, 2026, in Chicago. The Mediator also scheduled mediated negotiations dates for April, June, July, and August 2026. We will be prepared for each session – ready to move ahead with bargaining for what you deserve. We will resist all efforts by the Company to postpone or cancel any future sessions. With news that the Company may be exiting bankruptcy in late Spring or early Summer, there should be no further delay.
Thank you to everybody who has reached out to your Committee to offer your strong support. If you need information or want to discuss something, your ALR and this Committee is here for you. Remember – stay engaged, remain informed, and continue to support the Negotiating Committee as that support increases the ability to bargain a CBA your hard work deserves.
Fraternally,
AMFA–Spirit Negotiating Committee
