What no one has directly said yet, I will. If the company wants 717s and 36 shiny new 76 seat aircraft, I will be the first to pin on my Delta wings and fly either while collecting a Delta pay check.

Don't even take a negotiating strategy. You'll only invite the opportunity to be coerced. Simply fly the airplanes yourselves. Or accept that nothing will change if you don't. Doesn't seem so awful, now does it?