Cyrcadian, I agree with you, to a point. We've done it to ourselves. Crewmembers bid for a day off. When they don't get it, they call in sick. I've even heard it called "a schedule adjustment day."

Just today I witnessed a crewmember call scheduling and demand to be moved up to an earlier deadhead, so they could get home sooner. The flight was already oversold with revenue passengers, but this person demanded to bump a passenger so they could go home. This change put them on reduced rest for the night. After they got off the phone with scheduling, they said if they get tagged when they get back to CVG and not get to go home, they'll just call in fatigued.
It's stupid **** like this that give us crew members a bad name. It's why scheduling is quick to get defensive and not listen to us. Yes, I understand that a majority of us just do our jobs and not complain. But its the select few out there that ruin it for the rest of us.
Okay, rant over. Fire away