1. ALPA came crawling to the IACP begging for certification as the CAL bargaining unit. IACP was content to be independent.

2. The NON-Scabs didn't get to allow the scabs into ALPA on their shirt-tails. You voted and the votes were counted. ALPA came to the IACP and promised the SCABS to forgive them if they voted in ALPA. many NON-SCABS voted NO specifically to oppose this move by ALPA. ALPA knew it had to legally allow the scabs to vote and since they had to allow their vote per DOL/DOJ law, they found a way to appeal to them. This was largely in part to the fact they would get both the IACP war chest (9 million I think), and present and future dues moneys.

3. No one who was former CAL has ever defended the SCABS. If you were a 77-79 hire, you just ignored the scabs. If you were a Scab, then you hung out with your scab buddies and patted yourself on the back. If you were a post strike hire by CAL, you had to find a way to get along. That is until you upgraded and could do things the way you saw fit. Both the pre strike hires, and the post strike hires are all good people and have tried to make lemonade where clearly Lorenzo, McCoy, Abbot, and Starley served up sour lemons continually attempting to divide and conquer the CAL pilots by leveraging relationships within the Ops Group, IACP, and the new-ALPA.

4. There was no "hand-book" or you-tube video to watch by those attempting to put the CAL pilots back on the right track. We knew we needed a union to move the ball while trying to protect our pilots. Ops Group had limitations. IACP was getting the job done, but in the Post 9-11 environment of survival of the fittest it seemed wise for the fish to start swimming together for self protection. Hence, the logical move to join ALPA. Absent 9-11, I think ALPA would not have been successful at courting the CAL pilots. The senior would still not care, the scabs would still be self-absorbed, the junior would still be looking at fast upgrade times.

5. It's only a matter of time before the SCABS will be gone. This was my feeling and sentiment when I hired on at CAL, and it's still my sentiment today as a UAL pilot. I can't control it, so I don't worry about it. Not a factor in my daily life as a pilot.

6. This is a job, not a marriage. I don't recommend anyone harboring ill-will or hurt feelings for 40 years. You will be a bitter and ugly person both in the cockpit and outside of it. The strike wasn't my fault, and the aftermath most certainly beyond our control. The government, ALPA, and CAL management all played a part in 1983. Most assuredly, the picket-line crossers made their choice. They have to live with their dishonor.