Actually the real reason is that NWA can whipsaw XJ and 9E more effectively if both route structures overlay all hubs.

NWA learned that lesson from watching the Comair strike in 2001 and vowed never to let a regional pilot strike effectively shut down a hub.

I agree with what you have said. The "slammed on" means anything from weather to a strike. I do feel that there will be changes coming within the next year or two on the NWA side (that will impact all the flying under the red tail banner). Time will tell...

What kinda changes? Good or bad? Like someone buying out NWA?

My biggest concern for 9E wouldn't necessarily be a Delta merger w/NWA, it would be a Delta-UAL merger, because then NWA is a huge question mark (since we've seen Delta's attitude towards wholly-owned regionals, I think any post-merger DAL/NWA would move towards consolidating flying with Skywest, 9E, and maybe ASA...I think the future would be bad at Comair and XJ in that scenario, since the new Delta management would probably push for selling off XJ and Comair).

It's like two pendulums swinging in opposite directions, being held by NWA management...9E is on the upswing when XJ is on the downswing, and then (right now) 9E bottoms out while XJ peaks...I'm just hoping things start moving positive again at 9E.