The Railway Labor Act, under which US airline unions operate, does not allow a wildcat strike, unless there is a loophole which nobody at my carrier has ever described. If they are in Chapter 11, then a judge in a different court can impose an injunction and prevent a strike. Even the White House can impose a PEB: Presidential Executive Board. This arbitration could be quite ugly.
On a side note: Don't forget that most of the GOP is an implacable enemy of organized labor-whether steelworkers, longshoremen, pilots, whoever. As allies of any corporate management, they can creatively find millions in financial losses and even spend huge sums on attorneys until a decision goes their way. Look at what US (I seriously doubt that they "outsource" this work to the lowest bidder, as with aircraft maintenance and ramp workers...). Perhaps paradoxically, many of these GOP gentlemen have motivated many former military pilots to turn, permanently, against the GOP in national elections. US pilots are also aware of attempts via the DOT to allow more foreign ownership of US carriers. The vast potential to 'cherry-pick' labor provisions in various lands has a very sweet aroma for the more ruthless entrepreuners. Don't assume that the US industry has reached the bottom. Pilots can always be found who will work for even less, in order to fly the impressive, larger aircraft. The ego can quickly compensate for a salary which can be below the market rates.
Under circumstances outside of Chapter 11, federally-supervised mediation (formerly by National Mediation Board members such as Maggie Jacobsen etc) can reach a point where both parties are then released for a 30-day 'cooling off' period.
I've never figured out who cools off during the 30 day period
. What a field day for the press.
Good luck Polar pilots.
