Amazing. Hmmm......a mainline does what it needs for more airplanes and it's undercutting the regional. Remember these sized planes were mainline for years. Now I agree with your views on ALPA, but maybe this is the start of change of tides within. Someone woke up and said WTF are we doing here. (would like to think so, but prob. isn't true)
Anyways, the reality of the situation, is most of the regional feed is contracted. In any situation the contractor is usually held at the whim of the corporation. Though in most situations I've seen, Such as banking, gov't, etc etc, when a contractor is brought in, it's usually at a MUCH HIGHER pay rate than doing it in house. Here, it's quite the opposite, at least on the pilot pay scales. Though I wonder, If the same contract was operated under the mainline flag, would it cost less to operate than the fee for departure contracts that are rampent. If it was less, then I would presume, there's only one point of savings going on, and that's the pay scales.