While I don't like the Idea of paying the 45.5 million. It is Money EXTREMELY well spent as AA went to the pilots before they closed on TWA this time around and made a deal for draw down and paying greenbook (contract) to the TWA people virtually immediately instead of running a bscale like the did with Reno for a while.
When you see the results, the sickout was an overwhelming success and the fine is peanuts.
The TRO is meaningless. It just says don't do anything illegal, which is what we were always working under. The only reason the fine came into being was not because of the sickout. It was a failure to maintain control of the sickout and get the troops back to work when the inevitable happend (being ordered back to work). that caused the fine.
Incidentally the TRO will expire with the contract. (August 2001 + whatever time it takes to be released to self help) so it is a non player in negotiations with the company (though not necesarily in the psyche of the pilots who don't know what it really means)
Cheers
Wino