You are correct sir.
The difference between a bunkruptcy imposed contract and that PoS you all happily voted for is that you can start negotiations the minute you emerge from bankruptcy with the imposed contract. You and the rest of the industry get to live with that miserable insult of a contract for its duration, because you are easily cowed and VOTED for it. And you will like it. Well played gentlemen
Let's go down that road you would have chose for us. So we would have to start negotiating with sub GoJet pay and no soft pay (judge imposed contract)? Holy crap that sounds like a lot of fun.
As a wholly owned subsidiary they can make us look break even every month. Negotiations would take years, and we'd have no leverage.
If your goal is to be perfectly obsinate, thats fine, but the NMB will park your butt (reference Pinnacle TA1), and you'll get nothing. The courts, the NMB, and company, expect you to act like professionals during the negotiating process, if you don't because you want to beat your chest you will be punished. It's ok, I run into your opinion regularly with pilots because they think they are alphas. However, their only tool in the chest is to cry loudly and stomp their feet. The bk judge isn't your mommy, this isn't the toy store, no one on the other side of the table is embarrassed if they have to beat the hell out of you in public.
The reality is, the regional industry is about to implode and everyone prayed we would go down and spare them. I'm sorry, the majority of our pilot group is like yours, we don't live with our parents and a crap job is better than no job. Plus a lot of them could take a payout check and run to the next airline or regional. Our company ran out of money just as the industry we are in is contracting immensely. Facts are facts. We ran aground and that has costs, for the investors (owners) that means losing everything. What you are suggesting makes no sense when you are educated in and, God forbid, live through the process.
The situation we are in now isn't great, but there are a few advantages. The company has to come to the table every time they want something now. We took some bets on the future and made sure to put a few traps in the contract for the company. Already the company has tried to negotiate a signing bonus for new hires, we won't allow it without pay restoration. They want co domicile, sure, open up the checkbook boys. Delta, supposedly, wants us to grow but they cant get more than 4 in the door at a time. They want to attract new hires with an SSP, sure, open up the check book boys.
It's not a great position to be in, no doubt, but given the option of liquidation or judge imposed contract? Phht. I'll take my chances with this vs whatever bit of stupidity you come up with to make you feel better.