There were allot of lessons learned post UAL Strike, Post CAL Strike, and post departures of TWA, EAL, and Pan AM. It took some time for those lessons learned to be realized in the re-organization of Continental Airlines. The combining of several airlines under one umbrella by Lorenzo was done after he successfully broke ALPA.

But, after the airline was coalesced together into one single airline, both the scabs and non-scabs, new hire, and express pilots all realized the necessity for a bargaining unit and unity.

There was a push for a union as there was a push for no union. There was a push for ALPA, and a push for something independent.

Those with no baggage and who were essentially clean were the express pilots. They were all too young to be scabs and were tired of being taken advantage of by management. Those pilots worked tirelessly to help bring about the union onto the CAL and CAL EX properties. There were two contracts, but one governing body. However, once ALPA started courting the IACP and after the vote, the CAL and CAL EX MEC's separated into separate representational units.

Fred Abbott wasn't really in the picture yet. He was behind Debbie McCoy, and it was really Debbie's heavy handed discipline and over-zealous hard-ass approach that helped the pilots realize the need for a union. As a matter of fact, the union refused to ratify the contract with Debbie McCoy at the helm. I think that was second contract, not the first.

The IACP wasn't perfect, but it was all we had. I think ALPA failed to ratify at that time because people saw ALPA as not being in touch with their particular membership's needs and lots of hard feelings over the strike, in particular how the vote was conducted.