I know nothing about employment law in the US, but I gather negotiations are ongoing between the company and the union. In the UK, withholding your labour (striking) without a ballot causes you to be in breach of contract. Working to rule is another thing altogether, but I don't think that is what happened here. How much notice did the company get that the pilots were not going to operate? Sufficient to tell the passengers before they came to the terminal?.Before I'm flamed for not saying "good on the pilots", I was a BALPA member for many years, and still hold associate membership. The union is there to do your negotiating for you.