Richie Johnsen, Air Transport General Vice President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), said on April 24 that any potential federal relief for Spirit Airlines should prioritize worker paychecks and affordable service rather than executive compensation.
Johnsen said that workers, including IAM ramp service employees, are essential to Spirit Airlines and provide a vital link for millions who depend on affordable air travel. He stressed the importance of keeping experienced aviation workers employed to ensure reliability, safety, and continued affordability for passengers.
“The IAM Union strongly supports federal relief for Spirit Airlines, but it must come with clear, enforceable protections for workers, just like the CARES Act’s Airline Payroll Support Program. That means no furloughs, no layoffs, and no shifting the burden onto the very people who keep this airline running,” Johnsen said.
He also highlighted that previous models protecting workers have been successful in maintaining both jobs and service quality. “We’ve seen this model work before. Protecting workers also protects service. Keeping experienced aviation workers on the job ensures reliability, safety and the affordability passengers count on,” he said.
Johnsen emphasized that frontline aviation employees were not responsible for Spirit’s current challenges: “IAM Union members at Spirit, and all frontline aviation workers, did not cause this crisis. They should not be the ones forced to pay the price.”
He concluded by expressing readiness to collaborate with policymakers: “The IAM Union stands ready to work with policymakers to ensure any relief package puts workers and passengers first.”
