What You Put Up With, You End Up With
What You Tolerate, You Give Permission To Exist


Part VII
I wrote and first published the piece below a couple of years ago. The reference links provide a sobering read and are even more relevant now than they were then.

This job is damaging your body. That's why you shouldn't have to fly extra hours over more years, bid around vacations, and play the 'sick lottery' in the hopes of making up for an eroding retirement plan. That's why I think you're worth more than this TA provides, and that's why I am willing to continue the fight on your behalf.

Q: What do Coal Dust and Circadian Disruption have in Common?

A: There is not much "Quality of Life" when you are Sick,
and none at all when you're Dead

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Would you believe that there are still some in the coal mining industry who would dispute that coal dust kills miners, even as newer research demonstrates that it's effects reach well beyond respiratory issues to include cardiovascular disease, nervous system damage, and cancer? Of course you would, as such denials have been commonplace throughout industrial corporate history.

When Fred Smith invented Federal Express and an entirely new industry in the 70's, no one was thinking about the adverse effects of circadian disruption or fatigue upon your bodies. The boxes had to move, so the pilots and other employees dug in and moved them with pride. That's all there was to it.

Since then, Mr. Smith has (quite rightfully, in my opinion) become a multi-billionaire and FedEx has grown into a $45+ billion/year global icon. Science has caught up to the profits however, taking notice of circadian rhythm and fatigue studies which are comprehensive and damning.

It's now known that circadian disruption damages your body in a wide variety of ways, can make you chronically ill, and can even kill you. Forget quaint notions that circadian chaos simply makes you feel bad for a few days here and there.

Circadian chaos is our industry's coal dust. Behavioral disorders, autoimmune disorders, brain damage, diabetes, heart disease, damaged DNA, and cancer (women can add spontaneous abortions and premature births to the list)...these maladies are our blackened lungs, and we have each observed them in ourselves or our fellow crew members. It is a painful irony that this circadian chaos is built into your schedules even as you must maintain the highest physical standards in the company, and that if you can't maintain those standards, the FAA will strip you of your license to be abused by these schedules in the first place.

Don't settle for anything less than the best contract in the world, and don't let anyone imply that you should.
Fraternally,

DR
Block 1 Rep
Council 7 Chair