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Ex‑Spirit Workers Sue Over Sudden Shutdown, Seek 60 Days’ Pay and Benefits

The case tests whether Spirit can rely on a last‑minute financing scramble to bypass federal layoff notice rules.

Overview

  • The proposed class action, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, accuses Spirit of laying off about 17,000 workers without the required notice.
  • Plaintiffs seek 60 days of wages and benefits under the WARN Act, a law that requires written notice 60 days before large layoffs.
  • The complaint says many former employees still lack final pay, unused vacation and sick payouts, retirement contributions, and health coverage.
  • Spirit told employees by email on May 2 that it would end operations at once, and later said it withheld notice because it was still seeking funding after a jet‑fuel price surge.
  • In the Chapter 11 wind‑down, the suit also challenges a request for about $10.7 million in retention bonuses, a fight that could affect what workers recover.