If its true that Tulsa is removing the flexibility that they have allowed in the past then its obvious that they are doing so in an effort to insure failure. This way when they do outsource the 767s and the MD-80s go away, resulting in massive headcount reductions, which would happen no matter how good of a job Tulsa does, they will claim that they did so because the workers failed to perform.
We have seen this before on the line, with the movement of B-cks. most dont buy it but some do. I recall when we lost the 767 Bck out of JFK, the checks performance was excellent, so they could not blame performance, but they shifted itto LAX due to routing.
The company figures that if they make movements of work look like punishment that workers brought upon themselves that others will work harder to insure it doesnt happen to them or that if they work hard enough they will get more work brought in.Sadly our appointed reps in the ATD run around supporting this hoax. But they dont move work because one station works harder than the other-they would replace management if that was the determining factor-work ends up where aircraft can be routed to places they have the time and facilities to do it.
JFK realized back with the 767 that it doesnt matter one way or the other. Tulsa is likely being provoked into a response, but whether they respond or not the result will be the same, they will lose work if AA can find a place to do it cheaper and as old planes are replaced by the 500 new ones they have coming.