Ya....don't think the blame game will work out very well.
Folks MIGHT feel some anger and angst when their travel plans are disrupted due to inadequate staffing and strife. It would be nice if the TU's could put this accountability where it belongs and stay ahead of it--that being with the folks who hire, manage, and plan.
BUT
I think the general public (rightly) looks at the people in front charged with their safety in a similar way they might look at a doctor or surgeon. At least that's the impression I've gotten over the years. It's not simply a 'hired help' kind of thing.
On the last few flights there have been several mothers with infants aboard and these have reminded me of what a heavy responsibility this is. We are charged with safely operating a several hundred ton airplane at high speed with the lives of several hundred people behind us. Yes, if WE get there OK so does every one else, but this isn't something to be trifled with. And there's more to the job than just pushing buttons.
Most of us have been doing something else when we feel a bump, acceleration, yaw, etc--and see a trend arrow looking as the winds shift--and this is one of the many things and feelings that's developed only through time and experience (as is knowing what a forecast REALLY means, how system degredations might snowball down the road, etc). Something is out of place demanding attention and how to look where when. All part of the trade, but folks expect us to be able to do it right all the time.
I know if I'm hiring a surgeon to work on MY kid, I want the best I can get. It's a pretty powerful feeling and a strong delegation of trust (most that I've dealt with this know of this and are pretty good in describing what's going to happen and what to expect).
So I think there's a strong case that the flying public wants their pilots well paid and happy--at least from what I've seen along my life. If a manager makes a bad decision the line might lose some cash or have to re-write a few TPS reports with cover sheets. Our profession demands more.