Washington, D.C. –
Following yesterday’s announcement of the closing of Texas Aero Engine Service Limited (TAESL), a joint American Airlines – Rolls Royce engine repair facility in Fort Worth, Texas, that will result in the loss of as many as 500 union jobs, Transport Workers Union of America International President Harry Lombardo issued the following statement:
“While we’re not especially surprised by the news that American Airlines and Rolls Royce have decided to close this facility, we are disappointed that several hundred of our members will soon be losing their livelihoods. Our mechanics are indeed the best and the brightest, and as their union, we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they land on their feet.
“But for a company that claims to value its relationship with its employees above all else, American Airlines has once again shown its true colors. The company’s management notified us of TAESL’s closing mere minutes before the public announcement. We barely had time to break this news to our own members before their families read online or heard about it on television. These are people’s lives and futures, and yet American Airlines can’t even offer them the decency of some advanced warning.
“Unfortunately, the company’s hypocrisy when it comes to the treatment of its workers is nothing new. For years, labor relations at American Airlines have been deteriorating, and what was once accomplished with a civil, sit-down negotiation is now done in a cloak-and-dagger, back room war on working people. Is this how business is done? Lowering the boom on hardworking men and women who have devoted their careers to a company with no notice, right in the middle of the workday? It’s a pretty callous way to operate, and our members deserve better.”
TWU’s Air Transport Division will be meeting with American Airlines management in the coming days, and the union will form a committee to monitor the TAESL closing process, ensuring that members are offered appropriate seniority, buyout and relocation packages where applicable.