The Wall Street Journal (March 25, 1987), in an article headlined, "American Air Attendants Seek to Topple Two-Tier Pay," reported: "The American dispute…is a test of the union's strategy, the corporate campaign and of the architect of that tool, Ray Rogers, who the attendants have hired…" The article added, "Soon after Mr. Rogers' role…was disclosed, American sued the union in federal court…(alleging) that the union, by using a corporate campaign, isn't bargaining in good faith."

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) began developing its corporate campaign in late 1986 after CCI had researched sensitive issues and vulnerabilities in the company's financial and political support network. First came a major, ongoing effort to build internal union solidarity by educating and activating members on the issues. Each month, the union publication Skyword featured articles exposing aspects of the company and its policies that American would have preferred to keep under wraps. The information was presented in ways calculated to make corporate policymakers increasingly uneasy and concerned.

On March 22, 1987, APFA began reaching out to the public with mass distribution of a brochure entitled, "American Airlines, Doing What They Do Best." It documented American's safety violations, toxic waste dumping, unfair labor policies and involvement by its CEO in price-fixing efforts. The company was so irate that it illegally fired 17 flight attendants within hours after they distributed brochures to travelers at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. Compounding the company's problems was the fact that the brochure and its contents were highlighted on the ABC News program "Nightline."

On April 23, 1987, the Dallas Morning News ran a photo of hundreds of protesting flight attendants and supporters marching on Republic Bank behind an APFA banner. The accompanying article quoted APFA President Patt Gibbs: "Our two new targets are Republic Bank and Equitable Life Insurance Co." According to the newspaper, "the latest tactic is designed to bring pressure upon corporate relatives of AMR (American Airlines' parent) in hopes they can influence negotiations between the two parties."

As APFA was mobilizing for a large protest at AMR's annual meeting in the company's hometown of Dallas, where such meetings had been held each year since 1979, AMR suddenly moved the meeting to North Carolina. On April 27, USA Today spotlighted Patt Gibbs and quoted her: "The company is trying to run and hide from the labor problems it has created rather than to bargain fairly to resolve them." The newspaper added, "Ironically, a stockholder resolution on the agenda for this year's meeting proposes moving the meeting site outside Dallas. AMR asks shareholders to oppose it." Over the ensuing months, the campaign expanded and APFA's leadership stood firm.

Back in February, American had taken a hard line, trying to goad union leaders into making strategic blunders. AMR broke off talks, claiming to the National Mediation Board that it had reached an impasse even though the union was coming back with a revised proposal. On March 11, at the first joint meeting in mediation, AMR gave the union a "take-it-or-leave-it" package. Patt Gibbs responded in a press release: "It is clear that everything AMR has done from the beginning of the negotiations is aimed at forcing an impasse so that they can get the work rule changes they cannot obtain through good faith bargaining. They know our members do not want to strike. We will not put our members in a position where they can be replaced…but we will take whatever steps are necessary to exert the sort of pressures on AMR that are available to us under law."

During the next several months, APFA remained in the news and on the offensive and kept AMR's top policymakers off balance and worrying what the union would do next. Gibbs felt confident enough to call a two-day "solidarity" strike that could have disrupted travel plans for thousands of travelers during the busy Christmas season.

Fortunately, there was no need for a walkout. The Wall Street Journal's headline on Christmas Eve, 1987, proclaimed: "American Air's Flight-Attendant Accord Will End 2-Tier Wage Carrier Pioneered." The story below said that the "surprise, last-minute contract settlement" marked "a significant victory for Patt A. Gibbs, the feisty union leader…"