I agree that "Plan B" will happen this time because the company has no choice due to attrition. They plan to downsize but what a great opportunity to blame the pilots. Look for growth again late next year at the height of the recession as G4 takes turf from other airlines that are retreating. Recession will also slow legacy hiring maybe just enough for G4 to catch up.

Since global thermonuclear war keeps getting brought in, the problem with the union is they are locked in a cold war with the company. It's no longer about "the contract". It's about mutual hatred of the other side and kicking their ass in each small proxy battle. It's about I'd rather die than agree with you so let's go all in for Mutually Assured Destruction. Contract negotiations are SALT talks. The G4 pilots are caught in the middle like average Americans doing duck and cover drills and stocking up on iodine pills. The only thing that really stopped the 50 year long Cold War was the Soviet Union running out of money and collapsing before the US debt caught up with us. That's the kind of standoff 2118 and G4 are having right now. First one to run out of money loses. The madness won't stop until then.

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?