Whether an organisation is management or union, the issue with priority is always credibility. If an organisation decides to stand by its principles, then it should do so. Being wishy-washy or going back on decisions sets a poor example for the Membership and leads to incredibly bad management for this and for future Executives.
Imposing a ban on new employment under threat of blackball and then standing by while there are internal promotions detracts 100% from the credibility of the organisation - for the simple fact that it replaces the employees who were fired. How can youn stand up for the jobs of 49 employees and then replace them yourselves?
You cannot have it both ways... on another issue, just how long is the AOA going to support those families, and/or how long can they afford to do so? How long are the rest of the Membership going to cough up extra funds to pay for 49 pilots and their wives to sit around waiting for an intransigent management?
Perhaps it is time to get practical and take a long hard look at reality. Perhaps it is time to find those pilots other jobs or come to a compromise with management.
But certainly things cannot continue indefinitely as they are... management has moved on and is still running an airline. Either escalate your actions substantially to show you mean business or get off the pot and let others find places without threat of being labelled scabs.
Actions taken so far can be viewed as responsible, but the longer it goes on the nearer it gets to being seen as childish pouting. For the moment the AOA action and ban means and affects nothing but other pilots aroudn the world in need of work - and that has a domino effect that affects all of us.
In the area of solving the issue, I think many pilots posting here are loooking at the situation from a purely Western point of view... right or wrong, the airline is still a company and an employer being run by management who are themselves people. Right or wrong, management still has to be dealt with on several levels and there must be some way of coming to a settlement.
May I suggest an Eastern approach (as opposed to a Western approach) to the situation? Only you on the spot can know what that entails, but surely it is worth investigating?