Silver, it's nice to read a post recognizing that the union-company relationship has, indeed, improved. I never doubted that the pilotgroup would take notice when the new spirit of cooperation was spreading and turning green....

It's been growing for two years and the fruits are ready for harvesting...

I encourage the NJ pilots to grab their IBB baskets (ballots) and join in.
In all seriousness, I'm glad the NJ pilots have this
well-deserved opportunity and I think the timing may help the Options pilots in their fight for industry standard wages. At the bargaining table they can point out that their peers are getting
another raise while Options pilots are expected to perform the
same duties for less money. The Ops pilots have a just cause and denying that will expose how arrogant management is there. Hopefully, HIG would rather start things off in a more positive light.
B19, my husband was laid off, as many other pilots were across the industry, after 9-11. The union wasn't to blame for that....

At the time he warned me that AA's management was taking advantage of the situation to move more flying to the regionals where the pilots were paid much less. Watching managers scramble to protect their own nest eggs while loudly calling for the Union to make big concessions convinced me that my husband was right. (I have personal experience with what Silver and I have been posting). I fully supported his decision to turn down the Eagle job with its pathetic wages, but I did welcome the AA stock options the Union got from management for the furloughed pilots. To answer your question: the Union acted honorably but management clearly did not. I'm proud to say that the Union fought for the pilots at the bottom of the seniority list while management exhibited arrogance and deceit.
You ask: if the same thing was to happen at NJ would I hold the same opinion? If both sides acted the same way as my previous experience, yes, my opinion would be the same again. That said, if the spirit of cooperation at NJA holds/continues to strengthen then I would fully expect to see the pilots and management work together for fair solutions, just as they have recently been doing. NJW