American Airlines Workers Protest At Tulsa International Airport In Support Of Jobs
March 01-- Drivers of nearly every third car honked Wednesday when they passed a couple dozen American Airlines mechanics holding signs along the roadway leading to the passenger terminal at Tulsa International Airport.
People smiled and waved from their cars, shouting support for the mechanics, who waved at the passing vehicles and hollered back their thanks.
"A lot of people don't realize when they fly these airlines that American Airlines does their (aircraft) maintenance in house," said Leon Eschbach, an overhaul support mechanic at American's Maintenance & Engineering Center in Tulsa. "Part of working together was keeping American jobs here -- especially when Tulsa has a stake in it."
Eschbach and the other mechanics held signs that displayed, in red type against a white background, the message, "I support AmericanJobs.com" with a checked box, "Pledge today."
On the signs, the mechanics from Transport Workers Union Local 514 referred to a website they established in late January -- -- on which they urge state and community leaders and area residents to sign their names pledging support for American Airlines jobs in Tulsa. The website has attracted signatures and pledges from more than 15,000 people from coast to coast, union officials said.
American parent AMR Corp., which filed for bankruptcy in November, proposes to cut 13,000 jobs and slash $2 billion a year in costs. The company says it needs to restructure operations to compete in the airline industry.
Among the proposed layoffs are 4,600 mechanics -- 2,100 of them in Tulsa. The company also plans to outsource 40 percent of the airline's in-house maintenance, company executives said.
"It's important to remember every employee group -- labor, independent, support staff and management -- is affected," American spokesman Bruce Hicks said Wednesday. "These were not easy decisions to make, but they were made out of necessity. Our goal is to preserve as many jobs as possible and emerge from restructuring a successful, profitable company.
"Our focus right now is quickly reaching consensual agreements with each of our unions to help American Airlines reduce its costs and regain competitive footing in the industry."
American workers say they feel like they are going through their company's second bankruptcy in the last nine years.
In 2003, when AMR executives threatened a bankruptcy filing, the TWU, the Allied Pilots Association and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants agreed to $1.62 billion a year in wage and benefit concessions to help the company avert a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The concessions included wage cuts of up to 25 percent, loss of vacation days, premium pay and other benefits.
But during the past decade, American's competitors -- United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines -- filed for bankruptcy, canceled collective bargaining agreements and slashed costs even more than the Fort Worth carrier.
As AMR continued to pile up losses of more than $11 billion in the last 11 years, AMR's board of directors continued to reward executives with top salaries, perks and stock-based bonuses.
Management's slogans of "Pull together, win together" and "Shared sacrifices, shared rewards," rang hollow to many employees.
"The company slogans didn't have any meaning at all," said Marty Bradford, an aircraft maintenance technician and 24-year American veteran. "The union played their part, but the company didn't reciprocate."
"We're feeling frustration," said Greg Sewell, an inspector at the M&E Center, which employs 7,000 people in Tulsa. "Eight years ago, we gave up a third of our wages and benefits in their program of shared sacrifices -- allegedly -- which we never saw, as management gave themselves multimillion-dollar bonuses.
"They said they had to give the bonuses to retain talent in management. The truth of it is that the talent was lining its own pockets. If they had been talented, we wouldn't be in bankruptcy."
Bill Bell, a mechanic, said Tulsa-area residents don't appear to understand the impact the job losses will have on the area's economy.
"If these jobs go away, they are not going to come back to Tulsa," Bell said.
Brett Ross, a mechanic who lives in Broken Arrow, said Broken Arrow and the surrounding communities will be affected by the downsizing at American.
"Our jobs support other jobs in Tulsa, Broken Arrow and these other communities," Ross said. "We are consumers. This job lets us buy goods here, send our kids to school, go to soccer and football games. It could be pretty scary for the Tulsa area."
Tracy Hardin, an aviation maintenance technician who learned his trade in the U.S. Air Force at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, said he feels betrayed by American after the sacrifices of 2003.
"I have friends who work in every city we serve, and they are just as concerned and will be just as affected as I will -- union, nonunion, management, bag workers," Hardin said. "They are being affected by every decision the company is making.
"I'm optimistic they will come to a rational decision. I want the company to succeed, but I want them to make sound business decisions so the company succeeds and remains American Airlines."
Andy Kay, a facilities maintenance mechanic, said most people he speaks with are aware of the importance of the M&E base to the Tulsa economy.
"Why more people don't show more support for American jobs -- not just American Airlines -- but U.S. jobs...." Kay said. "Any job they outsource to a contractor is a job we lose."
Ross, the airframe & powerplant mechanic, said American's mechanics are "just trying to raise awareness."
"So many jobs in America are being outsourced. We're not the first," Ross said. "You have to ask, where does it all end? How do you buy new cars when there are no good jobs left?"
D.R. Stewart 918-581-8451
Copyright 2012 - Tulsa World, Okla.
