Dozens Of Tulsa American Airlines Workers To Be Mechanics Again

American Airlines told its Tulsa employees dozens of workers will be going back to work as full-fledged mechanics, with pay to match.

In a letter dated August 3, 2017, the company says it's adding a Boeing 737 heavy check line to the Tulsa base and the move will affect about 70 workers, many of whom came to town when the company closed one of its shops in Texas last year.

In early 2016, the company reassigned about 600 workers when it closed its Texas Aero Engine Service LLC operation. TAESL was American's joint venture in Fort Worth with engine manufacturer Rolls Royce. Many of those displaced workers ended up in Tulsa in positions below their qualifications. 

By adding the new heavy maintenance line in Tulsa, about 70 of those workers will go back to being mechanics. 

The letter says the company is making the change to continue its focus on making the Tulsa base a specialist for 737 work, and because there just isn't as much work to do on its older MD80, Boeing 757 and 767 jets as it phases them out of service.