Yep, it's a pretty crappy cycle. Management is often too dense or too stubborn to work with their labor, but the unions can also be just as complicit. How many times have we all heard "Burn it down!" from unionistas at companies losing wads of cash? No offense meant to those who work for AMR, but the company is losing billions per year, and yet I hear nothing but "Full pay to the last day." Does that help any? No, it doesn't, and makes the union just as culpable as management.
Before anyone thinks I'm anti-union, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm a member of the IBT, volunteer on a committee, and pay my dues every month. The point I'm making is that both sides need to knock off the posturing and work together to improve profitability and working conditions. One side being pitted against the other is absolutely unhealthy for a successful business. Some of the happiest pilots I know are working at non-union shops (I should add, this does not mean that all non-union pilots are happy). Non-union not because of a political belief against them, but because the pilot group and management can work together effectively enough to the point that both sides meet their goals. Unfortunately, this type of environment is rare in the airlines.