Tulsa -
From Tulsa to Washington, D.C. -- Oklahoma's congressional delegation is reacting to American Airlines' proposed job cuts as the nation's third-largest airline plots out a plan to restructure.
The buzz word for our representatives and many entangled in the AA bankruptcy proceedings? Disappointment.
"Looking at the numbers we know that for American Airlines to remain
competitive with the rest of the industry it is going to have to make
some painful choices," Sen. Jim Inhofe said.
Those painful choices are expected to cost thousands of American Airlines' workers their jobs, including an estimated 2,100 in Tulsa alone.
The company has 88,000 employees, including about 7,000 in Tulsa.
"I don't want to give anyone false hope about the future, but I will work
diligently with the City of Tulsa, American Airlines, and the rest of
the Oklahoma congressional delegation to find ways to mitigate the
impact on the community while keeping Tulsa a strong business partner
for American and others," Inhofe said.
Rep. John Sullivan echoed Inhofe's disappointment, adding the announcement wasn't unexpected. Sullivan said every community in the AA system would suffer as bankruptcy proceedings play out, but pointed out the positives for our area.
"The silver lining
for Tulsa is that our maintenance base facility will remain open for
business and we will continue to rally around these workers," Sullivan said.
"Moving forward, the focus must be on minimizing further job losses and
working with American to ensure they maintain a presence in our
community," said Rep. Dan Boren.
And looking ahead to the bright side, Rep. Tom Cole said the state's skilled workforce, Oklahoma is well-positioned to attract new businesses.
"Our congressional delegation will continue to work with state and local leaders to minimize disruptions for workers and ensure Oklahoma remains an attractive location for the aviation industry," added Cole.
Meanwhile, more than 6,000 people have visited a Web site aimed at drawing attention to the thousands of Tulsa-based
American Airlines workers whose jobs and pensions may be in jeopardy.
