Maybe the way Delta and others do it is more effective. You mention they’re asking for a 25% B-Fund. Their B-Fund has been superior to ours since before our current CBA. It was already 16% and pensionable when we still had our non-pensionable sub-10% 401k match. They also best us in other important areas of the CBA. Maybe there is some effectiveness in the approach Delta takes?

You mention entering mediation as if it’s an entirely bad thing. It’s not. In fact, many unions attempt to enter mediation earlier rather than later because it starts the clock on the mediation timer. The NMB itself acknowledged this in their 2010 "Dunlop II" report: "One problem noted is that a party may prematurely file for mediation. This may be motivated by a desire to “get on the clock” to establish an early start date in order to more persuasively argue later for a release."

Why would a union went to "get on the clock" earlier rather than later?

Because the courts have established that time spent prior to entering mediation will not be considered when later determining if a release from mediation is appropriate. If we spend two or three years in direct negotiations and then file for mediation, those two or three years count for nothing.

Mediation is a necessary step under the RLA for eventually creating the leverage of passengers "booking away" from an airline due to rumors and news reports of a possible release to a cooling off period on the horizon. Without entering mediation, there is no threat ever to an airline that a work group could potentially be released.