Good difficult question.
Our last APA president in 2006 told the membership that we had to work with management very closely. They called it PLI Performance leadership incentive. They (management) were still touting "Pull together Win together" the CEO's slogan form 2003 when we ALL took 23.5% pay cuts and they changed our work rules and reserve system. Captains that moved backwards to FO took greater pay cuts. We also became more productive. But in 2006 our APA president announced that the Company is "unsustainable" and we the pilots must take immediate pay cuts again. AA made a public statement that they were not "unsustainable" (to show a brave face to Wall Street).
That president of APA was not re-elected. He did get a lot of votes though (NOT MINE).
The new APA president I voted for. I think they are tough with AA right now and need to be.
Effective today we lost our ASAP program for self disclosing errors/mistakes/dangerous situations. My understanding is the company AA wanted to be able to deem "reckless" and be able to terminate pilots that make mistakes.
Our old ASAP program offered immunity to 99% in order to identify errors or prim rose path situations in many situations.
In my opinion we have so many things going on right now plus contract negotiating that the company is dragging it's feet on and they are blaming everything on APA.
But to answer your question, "trust everyone but cut the cards"
In a perfect world with honorable airline management, I would welcome the opportunity for the Union to work together with management. But that can't happen this year, next year. Because management took bonuses every year (In April 2007 managment at AA awarded themselves ALL of 2006 profits). Yet in September 2006 AA managment told APA that "if your pilots want to earn more money they have to fly more. We do not have money for pay raises." "Oh management bonuses are contractual and we do not have to explain them to you, you just don't understand Executive compensation."
This is just a start of why many of us don't wish to have our union "work with" management right now. They are AArogant.