While I think it is natural in a merger to assume any policy or procedural change to the way one side used to do business HAS to have come from the "other" side ("We didn't do it that was at XXX, so it must be coming from the boys at YYY"), A lot of the "changes we are gonna like" didn't exist at either pre merged company. Examples from above about giving out full cans of soda or Mechanics feeling overly supervised did not happen at CAL or (from what I hear) at UA - it's some weird mgmt ethos that has grown over the last 3 years.
We never even knew who Sleestak was at CAL because he was buried 4 levels deep and previously had no reason TO be known. He was counsel. So we had 4 months of him before the MAD, and that was enough to see that he was going to cripple us with a "know the cost of everything and the value of nothing" service unbundling mgmt bent.
McDonald is NOT a Jeff yes man, the two detest each other and Smisek tried to have him fired several times after last summers operational meltdown. But, as was mentioned, the BOD was split with half of Tilton's picks and half of Smisek's. The last thing Tilton did before his position was absorbed into Jeffy's was to broker a restructuring of the Mgmt ladder to slide someone over McDonald that he now has to report to in an effort to protect his job and appease those calling for his head with greater oversight.