General- moving forward I don't see much of an issue. Although there appears to be a wide and raging jihad amongst the different pilot groups from the outside, from the inside, it's a different picture. I'm living the job, and I can tell you that people appear ready to move on and rebuild their careers. The massive amount of attrition is facilitating that. In addition, the money and other contractual gains that are coming will push this along.
You are absolutely correct- unity matters. The management knows this, the Allied Pilots Association knows this, and the front line employees are starting to see this. The proof is in the current happenings at American- look at the new flight attendant T/A and at the timely progress of pilot negotiations. Frankly, as long as the APA and the company are the ones that are steering the ship, it isn't going to matter what the USAPA or NIC hardliners want. They will simply get steamrolled.
Look at what transpired a few months ago when we went "neutral metal". Yes, there were a few clowns that pulled rubbish like shoe polish on the tiller, unlatching flight deck windows, and throwing manuals around the cockpits. Immediately, flight ops management put an end to it and came down hard on both sides to knock it off. The new management mindset is that this type of destructive behavior isn't going to be tolerated to the detriment of the many. Parker benefited from a split labor group at USAirways as the two pilot factions lowered costs. Frankly, I think that allowed USAirways to exist. However, a fractured pilot group now costs American money- something that the investors and management won't put up with at the worlds largest airline.
There will always be a few amateurish personas that try and disprove this and make an issue of the past. BringUpTheBird is an example of this. However, as a transfusion of new employees funnel in, the company continues to boost morale, and management steers this company in unison with the unions, those types of hopelessly unsalvagably attitudes will become the extreme minority. Money and movement will make the issues disappear- and management knows this.
I whole heartedly agree that one should choose wisely, which is why I also think that American should be at the top of anyone's list for employment. Solidly aggressive movement, soon to be industry leading pay, and some of the best bases in the industry are a few examples. Regarding Unity- it's going to happen sooner rather than later. We finally have real leadership at the New American- from the management and from the unions.
