AFA-CWA Sues Spirit Airlines for Equal Health Benefits for Domestic Partners

AFA-CWA has filed a lawsuit against Spirit Airlines for denying equal health care benefits to employees' legally recognized domestic partners. The lawsuit accuses the airline's management of exploiting procedural loopholes to avoid this contractual obligation and forcing domestic partners into a lower-quality health care plan than the one covering other employees.

"We are outraged that management refuses to treat the families of their employees equally," said Todd St. Pierre, AFA-CWA President at Spirit. "At a time when equality issues have sparked a social awakening across our nation, management's trampling on employees' rights is deplorable. Their discriminatory behavior must be rectified immediately. Flight Attendants worked hard to ensure that these rights were included in our legally binding contract so that we could provide healthcare security for our loved ones. Shame on Spirit management for their blatant disregard for equality and for turning their backs on their obligations."

AFA-CWA filed a grievance in July after management violated the collective bargaining to provide equal benefits for all employees. Despite an impartial arbitrator's ruling in AFA-CWA's favor, management continues to discriminate against Flight Attendants on this matter.