As a casual outside observer (and one who really wants to be on the inside), I find this very troubling.
Coming from 20 years of Air Force safety culture, and with formal training and service as a Safety officer at the Wing level, one of the first and foremost concerns I have/had about making the move to "the airlines" was the safety culture.
I have thus far been pleasantly surprised (at the regional where I am currently employed) to find a safety culture so similar to what I was used to and what I expected that any differences are not worth mentioning.
Safety is not simply a facet of a flying organization's success, it IS the full measure of the organization's success! Simply put: crashing airplanes and killing people is BAD for business!
The guiding principle that an effective safety program requires the full, open, and honest ability of personnel to report and discuss safety issues, ESPECIALLY after the fact, in an environment free of punitive influence (save the case of blatant criminal conduct) is INVIOLATE. You may have the best people, the best equipment, and the best training, but if you fail to promote an environment that allows for the open and honest discussion of safety, with an eye toward mishap prevention, and instead create a culture where safety is just another thing to club people with, you are not long for this world, and your people should rightly flee before getting caught in the blast that is surely coming!
I will be watching this forum with keen interest for further developments. I have been anxiously waiting to get "the call" from United, and was hoping the recent crossing of the ISL Rubicon would mean best forward speed on hiring. Now, I'm not sure I should even apply.
YAP