This company’s inability to staff properly is insane.

Unless this is properly, in their opinion...

If the flights get covered, and they get paid by UAL ... all is good.

...a more expensive pilot contract, relative to their regional peers, makes this an obvious method to control pilot costs. Get more from fewer pilots. Even if expensive, it is ^less^ expensive to the company than hiring additional pilots to get to a staffing level that pilots would enjoy.

It is going to be crazy, across the board. (At least on the domestic side.)