I'm going to have to disagree with you Gammon. I came over here with a similar background expecting the worst, but I have found almost all the crew to be pleasant and easy to work with. Any 'tension' can be melted by a short conversation. Perhaps things are different here in shorthaul land.
As far as SELPA is concerned, most people I fly with genuinely wishes them well. Nobody is under the illusion our T&Cs are immune from further attack. Being completely selfish, the better deal you get the less we will look like a target next round of cost cutting. Good luck!