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To All ALPA Members -4- June 21, 1948 pilots. They are doing their best to wreck the pilots' conditions of employment and everything they fought for through the years to make air line flying something desired and not a "we'll dish it out and you'll take it and like it or you're fired" proposition. There is no question but that Mr. Baker of National Airlines is extremely unfriendly to the air line pilots and to the air line pilots' profession. He managed to recruit a limited number of scabs which Webster defines, and correctly, as scoundrels, and is attempting desperately to operate. That's the kind of fight it is - a typical strike situation with a goodly sprinkle of double-crossing and scabbing by our own members. Every good ALPA member knows the names of these scoundrels. Everyone has been sent an up-to-date list of these characters. No one should have any delusions or anything visionary or idealistic about this problem. The National strike must be won and will be won, because right is on our side. One thing we must realize - the National boys are on the front lines and they and their families are depending for their livelihood on strike benefits while they fight for all of us. The days they receive their strike benefits cannot be irregular. They must be regular - on time. Imagine yourself in their boots, walking picket lines on the ground and doing air picketing and under circumstances of greatly reduced incomes, without knowing for sure when you're going to receive your strike benefit check. It must be a straight up-and-down business proposition. These payments must be made on time, which means the assessments have to be paid promptly. An overwhelming majority of air line pilots are doing just that and Headquarters wishes to commend them highly. Some, of course, do not and there's where our trouble lies. Letters, follow-ups and more letters and follow-ups. We must all, and without exception, get on the runway on this and not raise our eyebrows at Headquarters when they insist on prompt collections, but we must, instead, visualize the ever-moving National pilot-manned picket lines in Miami, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Washington, New York, and at many of the intermediate points. These men have to eat, pay rent, feed and clothe their families, and their only income is their strike benefit. That's the story, unflowered and real. Moreover, the National pilots are not receiving the kind of personal help they should be receiving from ALPA members on other air lines. It's the same old story - trouble must come awfully close until we realize it's our trouble, too, and then it's often too late. Headquarters will send out a letter soon on more realistic personal support for the National Airlines pilots, other than financial. It is a plan that is new and will work with a very small amount of cooperation. It can't miss. In the interim, let's not let our strike assessments lag. The National pilots' benefits must be paid and on time. Enclosed is your fifth National strike assessment billing covering the period from June 10 to July 11. The system employed by Headquarters is one of colored cards. The cards to date are: Orange for those members owing all five strike assessments; Red for those owing the last three assessments, in addition to the current assessments; Pink for those members owing the third, fourth, and fifth assessments; Blue for those owing the fourth and fifth assessments. All members who are paid up to date on their previous four National strike assessments receive WHITE cards. Let's keep all these cards WHITE. This fight is no different. We have been in battles for 17 years. We will win as we have at all other times because we have right, justice, and equity in our corner. To win we've got to continue
