Devil 49 - Not sure how a repeat of history helps your position, if anything, it helps the market based perspective of salaries and wages. Glut of pilots = low wages. Shortage of pilots = rising and increased wages. Market economics. Does it move as fast as some of us would like? No - but the economics work and have proven in every market sector of our economy to be valid.
There is no doubt that PHI deserved the union for several reasons - crew conditions alone would have been enough. My problem is that the current leadership appears to have reached for the golden ring and in the process missed and has taken a lot of good folks down with them. Was it the right time and the right issue to cause the company to strike? Only the membership can make that decision. They did not have that chance. Local 108's answer was that the 'best, last & final" did not address all issues is weak at best. The company said no to the EC's issues and the EC chose not to let the membership make the decision. Thus, less than stellar support (can we at least agree on that?).
Given the numbers - the union has an uphill battle. Even if I were a union supporter -- it is easy to see that the lack of support from more than 50% of the pilots associated with the company makes for a very hard ride (contract, temp, scabs, non-union members etc).
Ron - I make no bones about the fact that I am a non-union supporter. I think it is the wrong road. Can you point to improvements? Absolutely. But for the long run, I believe it is the wrong decision. Is there one industry (except goverment) that has a long history with union activity, that is prospering? I'm not sure I can point to one (not saying there isn't, just that I can't identify easily).
Unions tend to get greedy - if this strike was only about the safety issues related to workover - they I would say you have a valid cause for the strike. However, if that was the only issue - I find it hard to believe that issue could not be resolved.
By the way - as previously stated, I have only posted on union topics on this board. My position is that union activity is not in the long term best interest of the pilot. I am not associatd with PHI, AMC, or Air Log. I am very vested in the HEMS side of the business and believe that union activity in this sector would and will be the cause of a major reduction in pilot opportunities in the long term. AMC will begin to see that fact as they begin the next round of vendor negotiated contracts. Combine that with the amount of money Medicare pays out for HEMS and we have a perfect storm brewing on the horizon. Cuts are coming in reimbursement. With that will be a reduction in programs. HEMS needs to enjoy the ride as the healthcare cycle will start the down turn in the very near future.