A copy and slightly redacted paste job of a union's flash mailing to its membership. Bottom line: a sick-out is an illegal job action.
Some airlines have contacted [us] with concerns about a website that’s been anonymously established. The website – the URL of which I won’t further publicize – advocates that regional pilots engage in an unlawful “sick-out”. We have not seen any substantial evidence that any of [our] membership supports such an action, but in an excess of caution we believe [we] must respond.
As [union leader] I would like to be very clear: a sick-out at any regional airline would be an unlawful action and a violation of the RLA. It could expose individual pilots who are suspected of participating to disciplinary action. And it would be a very bad strategic error. In my almost forty-year history as a pilot and as a member and leader in the labor movement, I have yet to see an unlawful job action advance labor’s goals, but I have seen such actions backfire time and again. I understand the frustration many pilots may be feeling with their carriers. But participating in unlawful actions is not the answer. Only by showing unity, discipline and resolve will we achieve gains in the industry we can all be proud of.