Lesson Learned: If you go the union route, expect to be TOTALLY responsible for every single aspect of your pay, benefits, and job security. If it's not in the contract (in Iron-Clad legal language) you won't be getting it.

You personally have little control over the details of contracts hashed out by the union, so it is vital that you elect the right people, and that they get professional help in the process. I have personally seen this fail on both counts.

ALPA national needs to be far more aggressive about vetting both the intent and actual language in regional contracts.

Of course anything you negotiate will cost you something else...would any pilot group be willing to take a pay cut to ensure a severance package that they would probably never need?