| Updated: 9/18/2012 6:09 pm |
Published: 9/17/2012 10:08 pm
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A letter posted on a Transport Workers Union blog notified union workers at the Tulsa American Airlines maintenance base and other facilities that they may face job cuts.
The WARN notices are required by law to be sent to union members whose jobs may be affected by reduction in workforce. American is cutting jobs in an attempt to emerge from bankruptcy. However, it’s still not sitting well with many employees.
"We thought we had a career and now then they're telling us it's just a job. That's really disheartening," said American Airline worker Dennis Hall.
"This has been one hell of a roller coaster ride for our members. Make no mistake about it," said Transport Workers Union Local 514 Chairman of Maintenance John Hewitt.
WARN notices will be sent to 50 employees at the Tulsa maintenance base and 33 others at Tulsa International Airport in November. WARN notices will be sent to 2,911 Tulsa maintenance base employees in December.
"The morale is very low. We felt like we been cheated,” said Hall. “We felt like the company hasn't been forthright with us in a lot of things. Not real good right now."
Hall has worked for American Airlines 28 years. He won't lose his job but he has friends that will.
"It's been hard to see so many people work so hard for so long and then to see it come to this," he told FOX23.
The airlines spokesman, Bruce Hicks, released this statement Tuesday:
“Through restructuring, American Airlines has worked to lower our costs through sustainable, structural changes. Unfortunately, it was clear from the beginning that this would involve job loss.
“That’s why we made a committed effort through “early out” incentive programs, home-based work options and negotiated solutions with the unions to reduce the number of involuntary reductions. While any job loss is difficult, we now expect the need to furlough only about one-third of our original estimate as a result of these efforts and other progress on our restructuring plans.
“Because some of the incentive programs are still open, and because the business changes will take place over several months, we don’t yet have final furlough numbers. We are issuing WARN notices to the unions and employees who may be affected to comply with state and federal law, but expect the ultimate impact on jobs will be far less than the number of those notified.”
"It's not over the really big deals are coming right now," said Hewitt.
"My heart goes out to the people who have been here 15 years," Hall told FOX23.
The jobs could be cut as early as November 16, with another round of cuts slated around December 16.
