OK I checked back and someone wanted to know who John Ferg was.
John Ferg was the UAL MEC Chair who led the UAL Pilots to the 1981 contract dubbed, "Blue Skies." This contract was to be revolutionary by opening continued communications between pilots and senior management. The promise was when either side needed anything they would openly communicate and work out the issues. The problem was it quickly became a one way deal, UAL asking for "relief."
Highlights:
1. John Ferg was hired by Capital as a pilot at the age of 18 (I do not have all the facts on this part).
2. The 1981 contract had the biggest improvement in pay rates in the previous history of the UAL pilots. It was rumored John Ferg had not participated fully in the "B" plan (it was partially voluntary previously) and was made whole in this contract.
3. The negotiations included an ALPA committee of three who were called the "Tent Committee" and were supposedly allowed to see, "under the tent," inside information about the plans and finances of UAL. Ironically nothing they saw was confidential and was available via public sources (remember this was a no-internet info age).
4. Contract 1981 changed work rules and eliminated 737 S/Os and combining the two effectively furloughed 800+ pilots hired in 1978-79 (remember that big raise Ferg got everyone not furloughed). But they did get a "no-furlough" clause for all hired prior to 1978, some of which had been furloughed for over five years.
5. "Blue Skies" contained the first two-tiered pay scale applied to those who were furloughed capping S/O pay at DC8.
6. In 1984-85 John led former MEC members in an attempt to start a new union in opposition to ALPA as we headed towards a strike.
7. John was lead scab during strike of 1985.
The man's ego was legionary. He had a direct line to Ferris, went on fishing trips with him to Alaska and such and directed the MEC to give a real, not honorary Seniority number to Ferris. Basically he told the MEC where they were going and (I believe) was part of the official censorship of Rick Dubinsky when he opposed Ferg during "Blue Skies" negotiations.
I'm sure I missed a lot about Ferg and others can fill in the details. The bottom line was at the time people thought he was about the pilots of UAL but history proved it was all about him and his ego.