Clear and continuing government intrusion into the free market. Labor, like any other vendor of goods and services, is an economic reality that must be addressed by all commercial enterprises. For the government to continue to insulate airlines because of the 'great economic harm' that could be caused in the event of a shutdown is unfair at best (and IMO should be illegal). No other industry besides rail has this level of government buffer to protect their economic interests.

If labor is successful in shutting down an airline, are we really naive enough to believe that no one else will be there to pick up the slack? The Railway Labor Act is an obscene affront to the working people that make an airline move its packages and people. Contracts should have an expiration date, which would force (economically speaking) both sides to the table long before a showdown ever occurs. If we (collectively speaking of course) ever grow a spine and tell the NMB and their enforcers, the federal judiciary, to shove it, the result would be eye opening.

Airlines, like any other business, should be subject to the full brunt of market forces, labor included. This is either a free market or it is not. Apparently the government, the NMB, and the judiciary believe that a selective free market is a better approach. I believe they are dead wrong.