1. What legal authority does an airline manager have over a Captain?
Fired!
The regional airline I work for in the US is probably one of the worst in regards to management/pilot relationship. It says in our GOM that a pilot should be first verbally warned, then warned in writing before being terminated. Oddly enough, steps one and two are always being left out. The pilots get their jobs back though through the grievance process a few months later, and the company has to give them back pay, it seems however this intimidation is done purely to control the pilot group.