Meet the Newest TWU Members: Spirit Airlines CSAs – 82% Voted “YES”

On Sept. 4, Spirit Airlines Customer Service Agents voted 125-28 to form a union under the banner of the Transport Workers Union of America. This is the ultimate act of democracy in the workplace,” said International President John Samuelsen. “They are on the path to take control of their future, and the future of their coworkers. Welcome to the TWU!” 

Representatives from Spirit Air did not appear for the vote count at the National Mediation Board in Washington, DC, but three TWU members did: Marcos Perez, Mariluz Ramos and Stephanie Foley.

Perez said he felt “relieved” after the vote count. “I feel like I have some sort of protection and voice now. Before this, it was like going in one ear and out the other.”

Foley agreed. “We take a lot of abuse. A lot of the policies and procedures are made up along the way,” she said of Spirit Air. “They don’t care about us and they showed us today by not coming to the National Mediation Board.”

“We are going to have a voice at the table and that’s big,” Ramos said. “Before it was one-way decision making and now we are not going to be silenced anymore.”

Perez, Foley and Ramos praised TWU International Director of Organizing Steve Roberts and Assistant Organizing Director Sean Doyle for their hard work and dedication. 

“The reason why we had 82 percent of the vote is the good representation,” Perez said.