Rod. Skippy is presenting the facts as HE sees them. This does not necessarily make them facts, more actually opinion. And, I agree he is completely entitled to express his opinion. I have a different opinion of the current situation. I do not call it an impasse by choice as there is no impasse. The company is in the much stronger position. Sure they fired, quite unreasonably, 49 odd pilots. And sure, they have been taking action against those aircrew they see as 'anti-management'. But at the end of the day this dispute (other than the 49ers) has been dawdling on now for eight odd years. The termination of our brothers was in direct retaliation for an increased level of pilot union activity. The committee must have seen it coming. To support the 49ers is a good thing to do, if, the committee really feels that its strategies will bring the company back to the table. It clearly will not. The dishonourable ban, supported by USALPA etc etc, is NOT supported by the aircrew body at large in the world. Why? Because it is a partial ban only, and those young aircrew ignoring the ban DID NOT take the jobs of the 49ers. AOA members did that themselves by accepting upgrades, and the increased perks associated with their promotions. Isolating these young folk is only weakening the unions position and strengthening the hand of management. It has been said elsewhere and is true, that those young folk refusing to come to CX are exactly the people who would support the union if they did come. Those that have come in contradiction to the ban feel alone and vulnerable - easy fodder for the spin doctors in management. We are not Lan Chile or any other banana republic airline, Hong Kong is a different place altogether. The bosses of big business here and the population in general will support the CX management position. My firm opinion is that the union is slowly but surely painting itself into a corner from where the only way out will be much greater industrial action by union members. Then we will have the three hundred and 49ers - and the company will survive. I plead with all moderate union members to resist increased militancy, change the committee, cancel the ban, accept the youngsters into the union and stop becoming what you say management is. IE bullies and intimidators.