Our existence as support contractors to the group has always been predicated on progress for the mainline pilots group not being affected by our participation, in previous downturns the group just plowed ahead betting on the temporary effect of the downturn and thus far, they've been proven right, and at none of this events the mainline pilots had their career progression nor T&C's affected. A grounding of a portion of the mainline fleet and mainline pilots forced on leave as a result would by like nothing AJX had faced before within the group.
You tell me, What would your reaction be if you get an LOA letter while a subsidiary with contract pilots continues ahead business as usual?
I already went through this back in my regional days after 9/11, negotiations had to be made and people where furloughed and displaced while mainline guys took the captain's seats. I realize is not a good comparison since the Japanese labour relations with their company is very strange to say the least, but there is something all pilots have in common! None of us likes to be displaced by contractors.