You are wrong. It is all about leverage. If the pilots are not behind the negotiators, they will spend ten years at the table getting nothing. There is enough empirical evidence to completely swamp anyone who has an interest to study the history of pilots contract negotiations.
Even if the pilots provide plenty of leverage, an ignorant or hubristic management team can still delay progress for a ridiculously long time. The NMB will eventually get involved - and sometime the courts. As you may be aware, it is not the blinded lady justice ruling impartially with regard to the law. Judges, and therefore the courts tend to lean one way or the other on labor (and other) issues.
The picketing primarily serves to let the management, and more importantly, the board know that this is not a negotiating team out on their own. If they believe it will cost them more money to stay on their current path, they may adjust course.
Good point and all true....
But, I got in this job to fly planes......or not fly planes sometimes...
Anyways, all of this extra curricular junk is annoying and the story has been the same since my first airlines job in 1999. Nothing has changed. I did not get into this job for other pilots. I do support the union 2% worth every month.
Pilots complained at Eagle, then ASA then CAL... all the same sad story, even SWA pilots complain..
My friend at Exxom makes $180k per year, $110k first year out of college.. home every night, sure, works 9-5 (-7 some days), but he can retire at 45 with a few million dollars. He is 30 years old now. BTW, he gets a $10k raise every year. Union....what is that? Do they still have those?
Airline pilots want to be in the same social circle people like this, attorneys, doctors...... that is just simply not the case (anymore), we are upscale bus drivers (in some cases literally) and management is going to fight all the way to prove that.
Choices:
1) Quit and change career...... and dont look back
2) Continue flying and fight for career.... spend nights away from home until you retire.
I guarantee that in 10 years this board will be the same dialogue and content as it is today, because it was the same 10 years ago.
Face it, the job kinda blows and is boring as heyll.......