I have some sympathy for the fuel hedging team; in Q1/Q2 2008 it would have been argued that only a fool did not hedge. You simply can't fire people every time they get something wrong, particularly with such an inexact science. It's a bitter pill to swallow I know, but it shows at least a decent level of a maturing organisation.
I am sure it is not lost on NSF, but seasonal contracts should be as much an issue for BALPA as paying for line training. It demotes the profession to that of factory workers.