The pilot group was pretty divided over the whole unionization issue. This has the potential of going two very opposite ways:
1. divides the pilot group even more if the strike vote passes and those opposed to the union to begin with have another reason to be unhappy.
2. unites the group to some extent if some of the anti-union pilots are won over. The assumption here would be they would have to be convinced management is bargaining in bad faith and things are actually not as they used to be prior to ALPA arriving.
ALPA has incentive to get a deal done since they do not collect any dues until a contract is signed as I understand it. I thought the first contract would have been pretty lightweight and simple to agree on without things changing much for this reason alone.
The few guys I know over at WS were very much against unionization as they had nothing to gain from it. I cannot see them being happy at all with this latest turn.
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