American Airlines pilots tried one of these pilot sickouts back in 1999. The Allied Pilots Association got taken to the woodshed and ordered to pay millions in damages:
Pilots in Sickout Told to Pay Airline $46 Million - The New York Times
I've had colleagues do a phony sick call when they got a trip they didn't like and brag about it on social media and the union forum. And then whine like a baby when the company calls them on it.
Sick calls are a health and safety issue and the places I've worked have been very lenient about enforcement. But just like any good deal pilots get, some folks will abuse it and mess things up for the rest of us.
