...they should be thankfull that any of us are mad enough to want to fly...
Yes, but the reality is that they are not. There are more applicants than there are jobs, always have been and probably always will.
I approve of new-hire bonding: It seems reasonable enough to me. I would be even more pleased if new-hire crew were bonded to the base they were recruited into for longer, but that may just be an issue within my company