. ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁the ▁Rio ▁pilot ▁group ▁having ▁grown ▁diss atisf ied ▁with ▁Rio ▁management ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁carry ▁through ▁with ▁promises ▁made ▁to ▁disc ou rage ▁the ▁former ▁union ization ▁efforts , ▁solic ited ▁the ▁National ▁Labor ▁Rel ations ▁Board ▁( NL R B ) ▁to ▁conduct ▁another ▁union ▁vote . ▁This ▁time ▁the ▁initial ▁solic itation ▁was ▁actually ▁initi ated ▁by ▁Mike ▁M ills ▁who ▁personally ▁handed ▁out ▁the ▁solic itation ▁cards ▁to ▁be ▁signed ▁by ▁pil ots , ▁and ▁the ▁pil ots ▁un anim ously ▁voted ▁AL PA ▁subs idi ary ▁" UP A " ▁as ▁their ▁collect ive ▁b arg aining ▁agent . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁year ▁of ▁failed ▁negoti ations ▁the ▁N LR B ▁medi ator ▁declared ▁a ▁thirty - day ▁" co ol ing - off " ▁period ▁and ▁then ▁made ▁his ▁recommendation ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁pilot ▁group ▁that ▁" only ▁a ▁strike ▁will ▁likely ▁force ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁abandon ▁co er ci ve ▁and ▁probably ▁unsafe ▁practices ▁against ▁the ▁pil ots ." ▁ ▁The ▁pil ots ▁had ▁an ▁almost ▁ 1 0 0 % ▁walk - out ▁beginning ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁management ▁pilot ▁Her b ▁C unning ham , ▁and ▁line ▁pil ots ▁Mike ▁M ills , ▁Cal vin ▁Hum ph rey , ▁Will ▁Kil g ore , ▁and ▁Hugh ▁Long mo or ▁remaining ▁with ▁the ▁company . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁h ired ▁replacement ▁pil ots ▁from ▁across ▁the ▁country , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁arrived