Scottie:-
Get a call reader. I did and our quality of life improved dramatically. The phone call at 2100 that you just KNEW would be a change from lates to earlies no longer threatened our domestic stability. The same went for that call ten minuted after the end of standby.
The culture in many airlines, for want of a more definitive system, required you to receive a change verbally.
It is up to you not to be bullied.