T, let me ask you this. you asked for my workable strategy but may I ask what you consider a good one to be?
From what you said here:
"How long do you think it will take before we would be released to self help, and how much do you believe we can get when we are released. Now please factor in all the money we will have lost. (TVM for all you home gamers, and again, if you do not believe that concept is real, ask an American pilot how the lack of it has worked for him)"
I guess TVM? But how far do you go with a TVM strategy?
I bet we could get a 10% YOY raise for 5 years if we're willing to give up some things elsewhere. For some, they make a fortune becasue of TVM, others... eh.
What if time is on your side, why give that up since we rarely have any leverage at all? What's wrong with saying screw TVM and going for doing the contract right no matter how long it takes? For some of us we've got 30 years left at this place, maybe we'd like to do things right and not just focus on the TVM. But that's me.
And btw after having a AMR 777A in the JS the other day I'm going to say the "well look at the APA" meme is about as straw man of that other popular meme "but that's what senior pilots want!" Saying "APA" and "senior pilot" is nothing but a cover for a questionable strategy or decision.