I know of plenty of situations where people had to take 50% pay cuts. I had to do this for one of my companies. We also had to ask people to come in over weekends and work for survival of the company. People did it as long as they understood without it we were not going survive.

Fixed hours are not the norm in my industry.

Ever tried to find out how long medical interns work in a single stretch and how much they get paid? Know what the norm there is?

All this happens because there is an expectation that it is a temporary situation which is likely to improve. Unions ensured that companies did not continue to profit at the expense of workers. The same assumptions do not apply when companies cannot survive without employees being affected.

There is a possible objection that UA might make these work conditions the norm even if it comes out of bankruptcy and continues to profit. Even in the case of CO where the unions were smashed by Frank Lorenzo, has that resulted in current CO employees being forced into slave labor.

What is realistic is that the FAs will never go back to the previous work package after these contracts are broken because those contracts are not realistic in the changed airline environment. I suspect this is what is most disturbing to the employees. But it is also unrealistic to posture that the worst of what is askd of them while UA is attempting to come out of bankruptcy will also be the norm if and when it comes out of bankruptcy.