That version is fiction. The real story on that is that a handful of Eagle pilots (perhaps 20 or so) including at least one then LEC rep (a pariah) started an "80-80-80" campaign. It was never an Eagle ALPA position and even if it was, national would have axed it as politically, it would have caused a firestorm among their mainline bread and butter. Not only would national have snuffed it, AMR management would have never touched such a ridiculous proposal as it would cost 50 times more moving 260 mainline aircraft to a regional many of whose pilots couldn't successfully transition to anyway. I doubt AMR could even get insurance for such a preposterous ploy. So in essence, 20 rogue pilots with an absurd idea whipped hundreds of AA pilots into a lather and some are still floating in that foam today.

It was a complete molehill unworthy of notice, so try not to make it look like a mountain. It was an emotional, knee-jerk reaction by these 20 or so guys to APA's proposal to AMR that AA pilots fly Eagle's CRJ-700's crewed with AE F/A's and worked on by AE mechanics.