Posted on Wed, Feb. 08, 2012

More than 1,000 American Airlines workers in Miami are expected to lose their jobs under the airline’s proposal to lay off 13,000 workers, according to a Miami-based labor attorney.

Mark Richard, who is representing the Transport Workers Union, said that number only includes employees represented by the union. Fleet service workers — those who work on airport ramps and clean planes — are likely to be the hardest hit.

American Airlines executives said earlier this week that a specific breakdown of the proposal’s impact on Miami would not be available for weeks, as negotiations with unions are ongoing. Planned cuts at affiliate American Eagle, which also serves Miami, have still not been released. The airline, along with parent company AMR and American Eagle, filed for bankruptcy in November.

“A bankruptcy of this large employer in Miami is not only bad for American Airlines, it’s bad for Miami,” Richard said. “It’s going to have a significant impact on our community.”