Just a question. Could the furlough of so many Atlas pilots be in order to create company "hostages"? This happened at FEDEX and many other companies during heated negotiations. Sometimes layoffs are more than just layoffs: possibly hitting two birds with one stone?
The more financial losses a company can claim and the more human hostages it has (not to mention pilots' wives and children's education), the better position it seems to be in, IF at the bargaining table.
Good luck to ATLAS crewmembers.
[This message has been edited by Ignition Override (edited 22 June 2001).]