It's highly interesting to read the articles in this thread.
When I started flying for PHI in July 1987 a pay and pension freeze was in effect at PHI. This was a result of the period with low oil prices which had lasted for a while.
When the reputable association called US ALPA initiated a union drive in the fall to organize the pilots of AirLog and PHI, things started happening.
Within 3 months of my date of hire in July -87, in the middle of the campaign I saw 2 x 5% increases to my salary. Later on even the 401K retirement program was up and running again, having been shut down when oil prises hit rock bottom a couple of years earlier.
In addition the pilots received several letters from management each week, where management voices aggressive opposition to having a pilot union established in the company.
According to management:
* they would rather liquidate PHI than have to deal with a pilot union.
* It was virtually impossible to run PHI with a pilot union in place.
* They claimed that US ALPA was connected to the mob.
* They insinuated a connection between letter bombs and the strike action at Eastern Airlines.
It was no fun to read the letters.
The guys and girls of PHI and AirLog turned down the offer to join US ALPA. There are lots of reasons why this union drive failed, however then as well as now it is hard to fathom how seemingly sensible people could stumble and fall flat on their faces like they did by turning down the US ALPA initiative.
Since then both the GOM pilots of AirLog and PHI has joined a high quality labor organisation named Office and Professional Employees International Union -OPEIU. The representatives from OPEIU as well as the pilot representatives are doing a great job to support the pilot members.
Carol says that her late Husband was loved by all. Myself, I can not recall any conversations leading in that direction back in 1987-88, quite the contrary. It seemed to me back then the air was laden with fear of retribution if one elected to be outspoken.
Love was not part of the equation as far as I recall.