A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by flight attendants for Spirit Airlines who accused the discount carrier of violating their contract by ending its contributions to their 401 (k) retirement plans.
The Association of Flight Attendants had filed a complaint in Miami federal court in January after the Miramar-based company stopped matching contributions.
"Spirit's action and this case present a minor dispute over which the Court has no jurisdiction," wrote U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.
The dismissal of the lawsuit was filed on March 16.
The union had contended that its contract guarantees that the company "shall match" up to 5 percent of a flight attendant's salary each month, according to the complaint.
The complaint said that the company told the union that the contract allowed it to end contributions.
"We're pleased that the judge confirmed our belief that federal court was not the appropriate venue to address this issue," Spirit spokeswoman Lynne Koreman said Monday.
Koreman said the company's collective bargaining agreement with the union provides a procedure to address the issue, including taking the issue to an independent arbitrator if the two sides can not resolve their differences.
Deborah Crowley, the union's grievance chair, said in January that the change could cost each of Spirit's about 460 flight attendants about $800 to $1,500 a year.
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