North Tulsa -
Mechanics purportedly from the Dallas area picketed in Tulsa on Thursday, while Local 514 union members tried to vote on whether to accept or reject American Airlines' tentative labor agreement.
Mechanics began voting Monday on the airline's proposed labor agreement after months of back-and-forth negotiations.
A group of mechanics that American Airlines officials believe to be from Dallas picketed at the Tulsa Maintenance and Engineering Center (TULE) on Thursday with signs encouraging union members to vote "No" on the proposed changes.
American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in November and announced a plan in February to eliminate thousands of union jobs as part of a cost-cutting move.
In May, Local 514 rejected the company's labor contract offer. If members definitively reject their new contracts, American Airlines may implement term sheets proposed in March.
"We think they 'ought to be able to vote without intimidation or pressure because they need to make a decision," American Airlines spokesperson Bruce Hicks told Tulsa's Channel 8 on Thursday.
Mr. Hicks was concerned about people from out of state influencing local union members.
"The tentative agreement that they'll be voting on has many advantages on it versus the term sheets that were put out last March," said Hicks.
"We believe it's the right thing for our people and our company," Hicks said about the tentative agreement.
Hicks stated that the tentative agreement includes pay increases, an early-out program, and a number of other things that would not be available under the term sheet.
"The fact is that the tentative agreement saves nearly two-thousand jobs, most of those right here in Tulsa, versus the term sheet," said Hicks.
Hicks said many of the jobs that would be reduced under the term sheet would be in Tulsa but that the tentative agreement saves almost 1500 of them.
If it's voted down, and the judge rules to let the company abrogate the contract and will implement the term sheets," Hicks said, "there will be nearly two-thousand more jobs lost than if they take this tentative agreement."
American said new contracts could save jobs and that a bankruptcy court judge could throw out current contracts with workers if it's unable to reach deals with them.
Vote "No" picketers
