I don't think its that absolute. There can be significant value in leaks/rumors if it helps unite the pilot group against concessions we may otherwise be about to sign into a TA (or build up resistance and unity in order to vote no to a TA with concessions).

In this negotiating environment there really shouldn't be any give backs to our already deeply concessionary book. None. The argument can be made that there may be some tweaking here or there that could be interpreted as very minor concessions but with gains in the same section. Like a small work rule change that cost 30 jobs total, but the same section has work rule gains that generate 100 jobs total. Something like that, maybe, maybe could be explained.

But the rumors we're hearing are some pretty deep concessions. More DC-9 sized RJ's? Reducing sick leave and/or increasing harassment/verification? Getting rid of OE trip buys, longer training freezes, pay banding, redefining block time, gutting green slips for reserves, trading PS for pay, possibly even from the upper "unlimited" tier, etc.

Those are the rumors we're hearing. Even if they are bizarrely interpreted as the will of the pilot group, like from a ridiculous interpretation of the survey like "we would rather lose 500 jobs to work rules than be forced to dig ditches 18 hours a day with no health insurance" etc. then telegraphing ill concieved concessions can actually benefit us.

First of all its way easier to head things like this off at the pass pre-TA. And maybe that's happened at least to a small degree with the crying guy rumor getting yelled at by a rep for his concessionary attitude (if true).

It also helps tune the group into looking for embedded concessions instead of zooming into Section 3 with tunnel vision and graying out to everything else.

Should a concessionary TA be presented to us, if the group has been bulding up a "oh hail naw!" level of resistance to concessions and they end up in a TA anyway, it makes it a lot less difficult to vote no, particularly among the "I'll wait to see what's in it before I judge" segment, and maybe even among some of the "automatic yes" voters as well. If we get a pathetic concessionary fulled TA with moderate to nice Section 3 raises (partially paid for with concessions) it becomes much easier to vote no, even among lame threats like the NC will quit and the evil NMB will park you for years for not agreeing to concessions and all that nonsense.

So there can be value to rumors, particularly when true. Even some of the untrue ones may have been true before reps phone's started lighting up from the rumor in the first place.

This is not the time for concessions, and we don't need to "self fund" anything. I would rather see a clean TA with less of a raise than a higher raise partially paid for with concessions, particularly some of the asinine rumors about scope sick leave and productivity.