Do not speak of that which you do not know. Tell us instead what put you on the street? At least your hostages died on the field of battle and facing the enemy, not as a result of a self-inflicted (and fatal) wound to the foot.
The problem, FB, is that ABX pilots are being "forced"...not by management, but by circumstances and the changing tides of our industry. Over the last 2 years it's become apparent that there are more pilots, more airplanes, and more ACMI carriers out there than are presently needed. The decision by DHL to close down Astar hasn't resulted in any reduction of service. If anything, it will most likely bring down the cost of acquiring such service. At this point, ABX is wisely doing whatever it takes to stay in the game. When the market for their services improves, I'm sure they (both management and pilots) will seek to increase their stake in that game. Joe Hete may not be thrilled with a profit margin of 1.5%, but it's better than having those airplanes parked...WAY better.
The same could be said of a $100,000/yr 727 Captain vs. an unemployed one.
FedEx and UPS crewmembers have agreed to work rule changes and reduced BLG's in order to preserve as many jobs as possible. Are they also "lowering the bar," or are they demonstrating to management their solidarity and committment to each other, and to their cause?