We were operating under the Railway Labor Act, and the National Mediation Board had released us to self-help. We had the legal right to withdraw services -- that is, to strike. In fact, we had legal access to a whole array of tools.

We also had a largely uninformed pilot force who were easily intimidated by a bully, and most fell for the bluff. That same bully is now trying to intimidate uninformed legislators into lowering his tax bill with the threat that he'll take his airplanes somewhere else. Another bluff.






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