Sources tell me whispers were abundant; the aircraft would go somewhere else, likely to JQ. Always inadmissible, never in writing.
Again and again you are wrong.
Qantas submitted an application to FWA to throw out the negotiated flight and duty, rest and crew rest requirements from the EA for the 787. It made a fairly explicit suggestion that FWA needed to decide on the matter ASAP as Qantas would otherwise have to look elsewhere for crew.
This was more than an idle threat and certainly WAS in writing. It would have been VERY easy for FWA to find on Qantas's side (as they always do) and the crew would have been left with nothing.
Instead the union negotiated a far better outcome with provisions that were never in the EA and a seat in the cabin. Now mainline pilots are training on the fleet thus negating a future threat to have others fly it.
You are wrong on this.