I will confess that I don't have complete knowledge of how the negotiations are tactfully carried out, nor do I know the skill levels involved in using leverage, or acquiring leverage. With that said...and complete compassion for those on the bottom of the seniority list....I'm beginning to come to the following conclusion.
Management likes to play with the staffing levels as leverage. Threatening furloughs....base reductions....base additions....satellite bases (as soon as we implement PBS)....on and on. They throw out a number.....and then the union has to scramble around to try to mitigate job losses. This is a question, and again....fully aware of our pilots on the bottom of the list....at some point should the union stand up and say, no....furlough....close bases...what ever....you figure it out....call us when your done. It seems we are very slowly negotiating with the company on a new set of standards every time the company desires. I don't want anybody to lose their job, but at some point...I feel this has to stop.