Originally Posted by makersmarc

First of all, I have never picked up open time while people are furloughed. I think the same as apparently a majority of people on here do - that is, the company should adequately staff the airline so that there is no need for 'open time.' They ain't gonna do that.

Alright, let me play David's Advocate. If pilots don't pick up open time, what happens? They JM someone, perhaps at a terribly inconvenient time. The company still pays time-and-a-half, but what kind of consolation is that when you miss your commute home to do a DAY out and back? The logic is that if we are solid as a pilot group and don't pick up open time, the company will see the errors of its ways and not furlough as many pilots to maintain adequate staffing. So please tell when and at what airline this strategy has ever worked?

What we have in not picking up open time is something that is symbolic at best and futile at worst. I don't know if the Association can even legally impose an open time ban.

[David's Advocate portion concluded]

The reason I don't pick up open time is strictly symbolic. That, and the fact that I'm on ML. I suffer no delusions that pilot's not picking up open time wil have any effect on staffing. It will work about as well as a bag sticker.