| Updated: 1/31 2:33 pm |
Published: 1/30 10:40 pm
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Thousands of American Airline workers in Tulsa are wondering if the company will back them like they backed it. Many workers fear their jobs will be eliminated, or sent overseas.
American filed for bankruptcy protection, at the end of November, after posting $11 billion in losses, since 2001.
Employees, who’ve been with the company for decades, told FOX23 back in 2003, the company, asked them to take pay cuts because times got tough after September 11, 2001.
American Airlines promised, if they would share the pain, they could one day share the gain. With jobs up in the air, these workers are asking the company to show the same faithfulness.
"It is critical that we fight to keep this work local," said John Hewitt, of the Transport Workers Union, in front of American Airline workers.
He’s calling on the community to help keep the jobs ground in Tulsa.
"We must fight to keep each and everyone of these jobs in Tulsa," said Hewitt.
He’s the voice for people like Alan Vice, who has worked for American Airlines for 21 years.
Vice says he and his coworkers deserve better from the company they made sure was always ready to fly.
"It makes you feel betrayed,” said Vice. “You hire on a company like this and you think you will have a career there and retire."
The word betrayal is something they’ve been feeling a lot of.
"The company just wants to send jobs overseas and we can't find the foundation for it," he said.
Meantime, the workers' union has taken its fight to the internet. They created the web site, "Isupportamericanjobs.com,” in an effort to convince the airlines that this work isn't just wanted here but also needed.
“It's important to keep jobs in the states,” said Vice. “You can't have everyone unemployed. We have to have jobs and manufacturing jobs are important.”
State Representative Eric Proctor is sponsoring a bill to keep jobs like this from taking flight to other countries.
"I don't think anyone wants to fly on a plane that maintenance was checked off in Beijing,” said Proctor. “I would much rather fly in a plane that maintenance was checked off by my neighbor down the street here in Tulsa."
Wednesday will be an important day. Union leaders meet at American's headquarters to talk with the CEO about the restructuring plan.
