It's been approaching 5 weeks since I last touched an airplane. I'm on short call reserve. Many days in Chicago there are more FOs on reserve than there are departures.

If you just performed an informational picket and your pilot group has traditionally voted yes for most of management's request; expect management to start playing games.

They will start making you feel like the world is ending. At first they will let you know that you are overstaffed. Then they will start deferring orders. If by then you have not caved, they will continue the mind games.

The world is not ending. Hold your ground and know, you might have to take this to the nth hour to get what you rightfully deserve.

We are backing you up. Be strong, do not cave.

TEN

I said pretty much the same thing and got obliterated for saying such.
I agree with you and was trying to express this same point .

THIS!!!! Great post.

Mind games or not, they know if they run lean and there will always be someone to save their bacon. There were even people who picked up VJA/JRA on Apr 19. Not working and didn't go to the picket, yet...??? What the F...??

You know who you are, and everyone else does too. Picking up every VJA in sight, out of all three domiciles no less. You are trampling your fellow pilots. Congrats on that. If you have that much free time, try to find it your self centered heart and volunteer to help the union. Until that happens, you are just as bad as them.

Don't turn this into spirit....

Life isn't black and white. It's all shades in between. Life's not fair and it's sometimes cruel. There are a few pilots here that are suffering financially for whatever reason (sick spouse, sick child, divorce) and have fallen on hard times...and that's their business not ours. These pilots need that extra income more than you and I. they're not helping the company, they are simply trying to make a bad situation better. "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes."

Said every pilot who ever crossed a picket line.

Really? I voted for the 2001 strike at Comair and did not cross that picket line. My record speaks for itself.

Agree with Open and Flymonkey. The usual suspects have been doing this for years and years. And the main reason is undeniably GREED!

We all have been making sacrifices for way too long. We also have been told to prepare personally for what it might take to get the CBA we deserve, for years now. It shouldn't be a surprise.