LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nearly one week after Spirit Airlines shut down operations on May 3, more than 1,700 employees are fighting for their next paycheck after the sudden closure left thousands of passengers stranded.
Workers say they learned their jobs were gone through a generic email with no warning and no time to prepare. Now they’re left with emotions ranging from fear and frustration to anger and heartbreak. Some are turning to GoFundMe to stay afloat.
Flight attendant loses job days before 20-year anniversary
Jamie Patzer was a flight attendant with Spirit Airlines for nearly two decades, but that all ended with one email.
“We all got an email at 3 a.m. on the 2nd saying that was it. We were closing the doors,” Patzer said.
This week, she should have been celebrating her 20th work anniversary. Instead, she’s left wondering how she’ll make ends meet.
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“We’re probably not going to get our final paychecks. And within hours, we started learning our insurance was being taken away. And, you know, our benefits were going by the wayside almost immediately,” Patzer said.
She said hours had been cut in recent months as business slowed, but even then, she held onto hope right up until the very end.
“I was holding on. One, because I truly had faith and Spirit. But two, because I had nothing else that I could depend on. You know, it’s just me,” Patzer said.
Patzer may lose her home.
“I’m looking at possibly having to sell my house, maybe relocate, you know,” she said.
Patzer has set up a GoFundMe page here.
Nearly 1,000 workers impacted at Harry Reid
According to a notice signed by Spirit Airlines’ vice president of human resources, the sudden shutdown impacted nearly 1,000 workers at Harry Reid International Airport, including about 60 captains, 90 first officers, and more than 700 flight attendants.
The shutdown left Diana Gonzales, also a Las Vegas-based flight attendant, scrambling for a way home. She is in Mexico.
“They are giving us resources for the flight attendants to get back home, um, uh, for two weeks,” Gonzales said.
But Gonzales likely cannot return within the two-week window. She traveled to care for her mother following a surgery and learned the news shortly after she arrived.
“I did not have any savings or anything. And so to me, it’s going to be very rough,” Gonzales said.
Industry struggles amid deregulation
Several airlines are giving laid-off Spirit employees priority when applying for open positions, but experts say the entire aviation industry is struggling.
“The airline industry is just brutal,” said Dan Bubb, a UNLV professor and former airline pilot.
“Particularly in a time of deregulation, we’ve seen over 100 airlines go bankrupt or merge just between 1978 and 2011,” Bubb said.
State resources available for laid-off workers
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation is providing support for former Spirit Airlines employees affected by the carrier’s operational changes.
DETR’s Rapid Response team is working with Spirit Airlines representatives to provide information on unemployment insurance, health coverage options, and reemployment services. The agency said a Rapid Response packet outlining the services available can be found on their website.
Through EmployNV, impacted employees can access free services, including career counseling, job search assistance, résumé and interview preparation, skills assessments, retraining opportunities, and training grants for high-demand fields. Workers also can connect to job fairs, recruitment events, community resources, and other supportive services.
State officials are encouraging affected Spirit workers to file for unemployment insurance benefits online at NUI.nv.gov.
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