Interesting, you said you worked around the time period of the EAL strike which was in 1989 (22 years). Assuming you are 45 like you claim, you were just an eager beaver 23 year old new to the industry, hardly a wise old owl like you claim in one of your many condescending "classy" retorts. Tell me, when you were a hungry 23 year old in 1989, were you tempted to cross the line at LeJeune Road to the EAL training center? I heard there are (were) a few at SWA.
I've never claimed to wise, old or an owl.
I have, however, been around the industry my entire life (dad was a Pan Am/Delta pilot), and have been working as an airline pilot in scheduled service for almost 25 years. Between my previous airline shutting down and SW, I did 4 months of that at DHL, if that counts.
I was, even at the tender age of 24, wise enough to pass on the EAL interview, 3 months before the strike, since I saw the writing on the wall and would never scab in any case. This is more than I can say about the vast majority of original VJ guys.
I don't know about LeJeune Rd, but I did cross 36th street to go to my Pan Am interview in April '89. I also gladly paid my ALPA strike assessment during the EAL strike and beyond.
I've been furloughed, bought, downgraded, upgraded, pay cut, pay raise, chapter 11'd, closed down, new hired, interviewed etc. enough times to know that you guys have a stellar opportunity here, even if your Entitled, Sensitive New Age Pilot sensibilities can't/won't accept it.
There are plenty of pilots out there who would be happy to trade places with the AAI guys now, but you already know that.