Originally Posted by rickair7777

Fiction. They have a contract, and it's legally enforceable. Just like any other employeer/employee contract, of which there are countless examples. All manner of business is done via contracts every day in this country, and none of it requires a union.

What's different...

1) The fact that management is no way obligated to even have a contract in the first place, so presumably they think it's to their own benefit to do so. Also presumably they could scrap the entire contract at any time, or upon expiration if it has a specified end date.

2) The process by which the contract is achieved. At the major airline level, the threat of strike manifestly enhances labor's prospects. Compare a legacy to Avelo for example. At the regional level, it doesn't matter either way... union membership is more to make you feel like like you're "in the club" than anything else. Market forces will drive labor compensation... that's the whole POINT of the regional system and it works well. If you actually achieve an industry-leading contract via self-help you'll go the way of comair and expressjet. And No, ALPA did not get the AA regionals their big (temporary) raise, mainline management did that for obvious reasons.

3) The grievance process. If SAPA or an individual doesn't like how the company handles an issue, the ultimate recourse has to be a lawsuit.