You key word was PICKING UP. There is not a single sole who doesn't want in stone that the company CANNOT assign flying on what was supposed to be on off day. Picking up is a choice that pilots get to make on their own. If they don't want the days off and would rather work, that is their choice. The Pinnacle MEC has NEVER (even looking all the way back to the very beginnings of ALPA on the property) tried to police pilots on what they can't work extra. A contract is to protect the pilot group of what the company can force/assign, but is not designed to remove the decision making process (willful) from the pilots. If you want to only have 8 days off a month that's fine AND YOUR DECISION, but for the guys who only get 10 days off there are few who are "ok" with being forced to work more. That also applies to a 18 day off guy. The days of the #1 guy in the company getting JA calls needs to stop. The only thing that will force that is limiting open time allowed with bidding, limited open time creates more line holders and limits the "picking" for those who feast on open time, yet still allows for trips to be there that pilots can utilize to enhance their schedule (many times simply swapping for a day that they bid for off and couldn't hold or needed off after the bids closed). The company is super short on staffing- so much that they can't pull training guys off to train upgrades and new hires. That is out of our control and the company is being hit with cancellation (due to crew) penalties. This company has never been properly staffed, trying to pin pilots from their own rights and desires does not help the company or pilot group as a whole. The company is in a jam (both at Colgan and Pinnacle) and will have to learn from the situation. Name any other company in this industry or any other that would deny a working sole the ability to put in for overtime...? If you are off for 5 days straight and want a day trip in open time to help pay for an unexpected expense who is the union to tell you that you can't?