Gordon's book actually mentioned that Continental, post-Lorenzo, had people paid to clean up after the mechanics. Gordon wasn't happy with that and did away with it, so I can see where you're coming from. A friend of mine used to work at PSA and he said all the PSA rampers were getting laid off (back in 2001) in favor of U rampers - a difference of probably $20 per hour + bennies - for PSA flights. Go figure. It sounds as if management asks labor for concessions but doesn't have the balls to come into the union hall, hat in hand, and ask for cooperation getting costs down. I'm sure that the union would understand if management came in and said, "Hey, we need you guys to start cleaning up after yourselves as we can't afford the cleaners. At the end of the night, please be so kind as to throw away your wrappers and sweep the floors. We'll even give you a 3% pay raise for the extra work." Management and labor need to work together to get the costs down. One side can't work by itself. It sounds as if U mgmt can't stand up to the union, whines when it can't get concessions, and goes to the BK court to try to get them instead.
Neither labor nor management should have too much power in negotiations. However, honesty, common sense, and prudence should typically take you a long way. I guess neither side has too many leaders to rely on in hard times, else this would be a snap. Weak management and belligerent labor gets you nowhere.
Big, dysfunctional family...
