Wiggum as someone who has been a Chief Pilot I can assure you the CP is not the pilots representative to management.
A CP is
CASA's representative within the company. Some CPs try to be both...I did and I can assure you there is no quicker way to run foul of your 'fellow management' than to be a CP who sticks up for the pilots...sad but true...CPs like that are sacked with monotonous regularity...and CASA does nothing.
The pilots representative is the AFAP/TWU/etc rep. He/she is the person who goes to the relevant company person (CP, OH+S etc) and voices the concerns of the pilot group over issues such as mentioned on this page.
MOST pilots NEVER stick their heads up by actually going to the rep in a timely manner and outlining the situation and MOST pilots are not prepared to stick their heads above the parapet and back up the pilot who does or the representative
they elected to represent them. What they do usually is cop it on the chin and assume someone else will stick their head up...as the captain in question seems to have done.
Unless you as a UNITED group send the message via your rep to the CP that you WILL NOT FLY that duty unless x,y and z happens (and x,y and z have to be reasonable expectations) and back each other up then you have no right to whinge....never happens though because too many line pilots put career progression ahead of group solidarity...much better to get a quicker command by keeping a low profile and prodding others in the back to go forward and do the dirty work...particularly if they are more senior and sitting in 'your seat'.
