A community coalition to help Save Tulsa Jobs and keep 1,600 manufacturing jobs in the community.
06/24/2020
The Oklahoma News Report recently profiled the Tulsa IC Bus Plant to show OETA viewers across the state how 1,600 hardworking team members manufacture and assemble the world’s safest, and most technologically advanced school buses ever made.
Thank you ONR for taking the time to visit and share our story!
05/28/2020
The City of Tulsa Gov, Mayor GT Bynum and IC Bus announce that a new 20-year agreement has been reached to keep the IC Bus school bus manufacturing facility at Tulsa International Airport. The new agreement builds on the City’s efforts to grow and expand its economic base of manufacturing operations.
“We’d like to thank Mayor GT Bynum for his personal involvement in resolving these negotiations,” said Phil Christman, president of Operations for Navistar International Corporation, the parent company of IC Bus. “Thanks to his leadership, we have a decades-long framework to stay, invest and grow the IC Bus plant and our supply chain in Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma. Tulsa is a great community with a talented workforce. We’re very pleased to be remaining in Tulsa, and look forward to keeping it what it is today – the school bus capital of the world.”
05/14/2020
IMMI is building a 45,000-square-foot greenfield manufacturing plant in Tulsa to support the IC Bus Plant. Julie Cooley, VP for IMMI: “Please be our partner as we try to provide jobs at a time when there is more unemployment in our lifetime than there ever has been."
05/14/2020
Tulsa World: "Foam Rubber Products, which employs 50-60, said its only customer is Navistar and would have to relocate if the bus maker did, President Norm Smith said."
This Coalition is fighting to save jobs in Tulsa and across Okalahoma. The IC Bus plant buys from over 100 Oklahoma-based businesses annually. These employers are concerned about their ability to stay in the area because of the city's tactics and stance.
05/07/2020
UAW International Union: "...The Mayor needs to understand UAW members’ jobs are not bargaining chips in lease negotiations. We urge Tulsa officials to honor their agreement with the working men and women of this community..."
Joint Statement: Rory L. Gamble, UAW President; Ray Curry, UAW Secretary-Treasurer and Director of the Heavy Truck Department; Mitchell Smith, UAW Region 8 Director
05/06/2020
Thank you to Talk Radio 1170 for having our plant manager, Rodney Tharp on the show today. "I'm a plant manager, not a politician and I'm fighting for the 1,600 jobs at our plant."
Click to listen:
Jeremie Poplin talks to Tulsa Bus Plant Manager Rodney Tharp about the plant's disagreement with the City Of Tulsa over their lease.
05/06/2020
Fact Check: The City of Tulsa tried to terminate IC Bus' lease effective Feb. 14, 2020. The letter and threat of lost jobs is unambiguous.
If you believe that 1,600 local manufacturing jobs are more important than new carpeting, a fresh coat of paint and installing LED light bulbs, show your support at: www.savetulsajobs.com!
05/06/2020
Fact: IC Bus and the City Tulsa have a 40-year contract. Halfway through, Mayor Bynum, chief of economic development Kian Kamas and Mark Hogan, the City’s director of asset management, want to tear the agreement up and impose a $28 million rent increase and require $20 million in spending on beautification and other items.
If you believe the City should honor its commitments and contracts show your support at: www.savetulsajobs.com!
Help Save Tulsa Jobs Mayor G.T. Bynum and the City of Tulsa want to break the 40-year lease that brought the IC Bus manufacturing plant to Tulsa in 1999. Their tactics are putting more than 1,600 direct jobs at risk of being eliminated in our community. IC Bus wants to stay, invest, grow
05/05/2020
At the direction of Mayor Bynum, the City of Tulsa is threatening to evict IC Bus from its school bus manufacturing facility, a move which would cost the city and the state of Oklahoma 1,600 jobs.
Help us Save Tulsa Jobs and show your support for the hardworking men and women of the IC Bus plant at: www.savetulsajobs.com!
Help Save Tulsa Jobs Mayor G.T. Bynum and the City of Tulsa want to break the 40-year lease that brought the IC Bus manufacturing plant to Tulsa in 1999. Their tactics are putting more than 1,600 direct jobs at risk of being eliminated in our community. IC Bus wants to stay, invest, grow
05/05/2020
More than 1,600 men and women have careers manufacturing and assembling the world’s safest, and most technologically advanced school buses ever made. In 1999, IC Bus and the City of Tulsa entered into a landmark agreement to repurpose an abandoned bomber plant and transform it into a modern manufacturing facility. After being offered a 40-year lease, IC Bus heavily invested in the nearly mile-long, 1-million-square-foot campus and today, the Tulsa plant is the world’s leading producer of school buses. During peak manufacturing season, up to 75 buses are built each day.
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In January 2020, the City of Tulsa, at the direction of Mayor G.T. Bynum, told IC Bus it was going to terminate their lease effective Feb. 14, 2020. This would have resulted in the immediate loss of 1,600 jobs. Join the campaign to help Save Tulsa Jobs!
IC Bus’ 20-Year History In Tulsa: In 1999, IC Bus and the City of Tulsa entered into a landmark agreement to repurpose an abandoned bomber plant and transform it into a modern manufacturing facility. After being offered a 40-year lease, IC Bus heavily invested in the nearly mile-long, 1-million-square-foot campus and today, the Tulsa plant is the world’s leading producer of school buses. During peak manufacturing season, up to 75 buses are built each day.
The Agreement To Bring Jobs For Decades To Come: Manufacturing jobs are the lifeblood of the middle class and support the local economy. In 1999, the City of Tulsa offered IC Bus a 40-year lease, to encourage the new investment at the abandoned plant and create new manufacturing jobs in Tulsa.
IC Bus Kept Its Promises: For 20 years, IC Bus and Tulsa have had a productive partnership. IC Bus has invested over $140 million to create a modern manufacturing facility in Tulsa. Job creation at the plant has exceeded expectations by 33%! IC Bus wants to stay at its facility in Tulsa, but officials at City Hall have made unreasonable demands, want to break the lease and threatened to evict IC Bus from this facility!
The Economic Impact of IC Bus in Tulsa:
More than 1,600 men and women have careers manufacturing and assembling the world’s safest, and most technologically advanced school buses ever made. The average team member has worked at Tulsa for over 6.5 years.
The starting hourly wage at the plant is ~$19 per hour and experienced members make up to ~$32 per hour. In total, the Tulsa IC bus plant provides over $60 million in direct income to local workers annually, in addition to health care and retirement benefits.
Manufacturing jobs provide economic opportunity and stable careers for Tulsa families. Approximately 20% of plant workers are women and more than 66% of the plant’s workforce come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The IC Bus plant spends over $750 million with suppliers annually, including contracting with over 100 Oklahoma-based vendors and suppliers. IC Bus supplier IMMI is building a 45,000-square-foot greenfield manufacturing plant, specializing in the manufacturing of seating systems, in Tulsa to support the assembly of school buses at the IC Bus Plant.
Over the last 5 years alone, IC Bus has invested over $48 million in Tulsa to upgrade, improve, and modernize the Tulsa plant, equipment and facility.
The City of Tulsa’s Threats: In January 2020, the City of Tulsa, at the direction of Mayor G.T. Bynum, told IC Bus it was going to terminate their lease effective Feb. 14, 2020. This would have resulted in the immediate loss of 1,600 jobs. IC Bus requested additional time to continue discussions to prevent the loss of jobs and disruption to Tulsa’s economy. The City of Tulsa agreed to additional time, but this agreement to continue discussions expires May 29, 2020.
Fighting For IC Bus Employees: IC Bus will do everything in their power to protect the jobs and livelihood of their dedicated team members and prevent any immediate disruptions at the plant. The company wants to continue to reinvest, grow and build buses at their plant in Tulsa. Plant officials have committed to spending tens of millions of dollars more to improve the plant and their manufacturing processes in Tulsa.
Tell Tulsa Officials To Keep Their Promises: Mayor Bynum and the City of Tulsa to promote Tulsa jobs and honor their lease with IC Bus, not evict IC Bus. It is up to Mayor Bynum to honor the City’s lease to allow IC Bus to keep its plant in Tulsa under the framework established in 1999.
