Having read it all, digested it all, and then reflected on it all ("it all" being this thread) I come to one conclusion:
Ironbutt, 411 and Longhaul have my votes for professionalism.
The rantings and ravings from the Strap-On (DD) and his followers strike me as sour grapes from little children who got into something without knowing the risks.
All experienced contract or free lance crewmembers have learned the hard way, and I'm sure those of us with experience would never leave home without at least a round trip airline ticket in hand.
To degenerate this thread into a personal vandetta just because you are a neophyte in the International Arena goes beyond the juvenille. If you screwed up just realize it and take your medicine like a man.
Try to think back to how you got that contract in the first place. I'm just guessing, but didn't any of you malcontent's wonder why you were hired to conduct International Operations in a Wide Body Heavy Jet with no (experience/PIC) in type? That should have been your first clue.
If the above paragraph doesn't apply, then I apologise. If you have experience then you're just plain stupid for getting into the situation in the first place, and no one here should feel sorry for your sorry ar$e.
Two final comments: Said Company is now advertising a DC-8 Flight Engineer position on 2 popular recruitment websites, and secondly, the word "scab" is not appropiate in this thread, as it appears at least one respected member (Ironbutt) has a friend who may or may not be, but obvivously he has gotten over it, and so should the rest of you. (sorry Iron if I'm wrong or out of line)