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April 15, 1948
To All ALPA Members

collections have been above average. Headquarters has developed a very comprehensive and efficient system of handling the work of collecting these assessments. The billings are for periods of a month and the billing cards are white, blue, and red. The white cards are sent to paid-up members, blue cards to members one assessment in arrears, and the red to those who are two assessments in arrears. 

On the matter of paying National strike benefit assessments, a letter from Paul L. Carpenter, one of the most senior and highly respected captains on American Airlines, was received, from which I quote: 

"While in New York last week, I learned that every last member of National who is out on strike and receiving these benefits is daily occupied in some phase of effort to combat Banker and his scabs- and not sitting around on their various and individual duffs just drawing strike benefits. 

"I think you are missing a bet if you don't publicize this fact to our members. I think it would go a long way toward a more willing attitude in not only paying these benefits but paying them promptly."

This explains the situation about as directly and clean-cut as is possible and reflects unmistakably the crux of the National strike benefit problem.

Enclosed with this letter is another letter authored by Captain Charley Ruby, a senior National pilot and one who is well known to a host of air line pilots as a clear think and homespun philosopher. His wisdom and judgement are highly respected by air line pilots everywhere who have had the pleasure of his association. In this letter, 
Charley tells you, in his own words, what the National situation is all about. In all my long years of representing experience, I have never seen a group of pilots who have worked as hard and diligently, under such adverse conditions - scabs to the right and scabs to the left. They have maintained a 100 percent unified front and their attitude and actions are an inspiration to the ideals and principles on which the AIR LING PILOTS ASSOCIATION is founded. (The March issues of THE AIR LINE PILOT describes in pictures and words the many and varied strike prosecuting activities of the National pilots.)

In this case, the strike benefits are not being paid to people resting on their oars watching a few scattered committees work in conjunction with Headquarters to win a strike and doing Monday morning quarterbacking. It's being paid to ALPA members working day and night, all of them, in the interest of every ALPA member. I don't think more need be said. 

Attached is the third assessment billing for the National Airlines strike benefits, voted by your Board of Directors in a ballot dated February 15, 1948. Headquarters repeats, "There can be no greater aid nor comfort given to Baker and the ATA and the ATA press, and all the other enemies of the best interests of the airline pilots while they are sacrificing and walking the picket lines and writing it in the sky for all of us." Baker is reported to have said on the picket lines at Miami, "The Association will never pay you benefits. If they do, they'll do it for a little while; then it'll dribble off and you will be forgotten." Think of it - that come from Mr. Baker! He doesn't know ALPA. If he had, he would have cooperated with the National Mediation