Tulsans Protest American Airlines' Bankruptcy In New York - NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com |

Unions are protesting American Airlines' plan to get out of bankruptcy American is asking a New York judge for permission to break up union contracts and cut expenses.

The unions rallied outside the courthouse Monday in opposition and they support a potential takeover bid by US Airways.

Tulsa stands to lose 2,100 jobs under American's plan, so six local union members went to New York city for the rally.

04/23/2012 Related Story: American Airlines Makes Its Case Against Union Contracts

Hundreds strong, American Airlines workers protesting in New York represent some of the 13,000 jobs that would be eliminated under American's reorganization plan.

"I told the new hires, don't stay," Danny Wilson said. "American is not a place where you're going to get a career."

Workers bailed out American nine years ago with huge concessions. Now, they now feel like they "got sold out."

"The final day will be ours, outside of the bankruptcy court," TWU President Jim Little said. "Let's keep that in mind."

In the crowd of Transport Workers and Flight Attendants were six people from Tulsa, including Joe McGill.

"What we're asking for here is a little more input into our futures and a little more ability to control our futures," McGill said.

The group flew in on their own dime to protest what they consider is unfair treatment by American.

"We're just trying as much as possible to find some way to lessen the severity of what American Airlines would like to do," McGill said.

American has lost $10 billion the last 10 years. Attorneys for the airline are asking a bankruptcy judge to throw out its union contracts so it can emerge as a leaner company.

"It's going to impact Tulsa worse than anywhere else in the system. We are going to be hit the hardest," McGill said.

US Airways is a potential game-changer after making nice with American's unions and creditors for a possible takeover.

But American has the exclusive right to work on its restructuring plan until September, and vows to keep working on agreements with workers.

"That's our ultimate goal, we must have consensual agreement at some point," AA Spokesperson Bruce Hill said.

McGill and the five others from Tulsa are now in Washington DC to lobby. They're meeting with Oklahoma lawmakers, like Senator Tom Coburn, to get as much support as they can.