Before we lost track of the subject matter which I recall was the = Canadian Air Traffic Controllers possibly going on strike. Someone made = a comment, it may have been Dave, that the politicians would trade votes = for perks to gain the Union's endorsement/vote. I have been told in no = uncertain terms that politicians don't care about the controllers union = votes and they're not going to put themselves out on a limb for maybe = 20,000 possible votes. The FAA recognized the fact that something had = to be done with the pay structure. You couldn't draw controller talent = to a place like O'Hare Tower or TRACON when someone at Pittsburgh and = other Level V facilities were making the same money. In 1987-88 timeframe action was started to = achieve appropriate pay differential at O'Hare. It was called Pay = Demonstration. A program to test it's effect for a five year period. = This culmuniated in locality pay and new facility classification. The = Union was definitely involved in this project. I'm not trying to down = play the Unions importance or involvement in this project. Probably my only regret at retiring since my retirement pay was based = on my high 3 year average. Talked to a friend who just retired from a = southern facility. he told me he made more in retirement now than he = made at O'Hare with overtime and all the other differentials. Al