RPTR RESPONDS TO TCASII RA AT ABOUT SIMULTANEOUS WITH CTLR 'IMMEDIATE' VECTOR.

Narrative

DURING STABILIZED CRUISE AT FL310; TCASII DISPLAYED TA TARGET AT 12 O'CLOCK; 6 MI 200 FT BELOW OUR ALT AND CLBING. ASKED MSP ARTCC IF ANY TFC FOR OUR FLT. CTLR THEN ISSUED; 'TURN L HDG 180 DEG (FROM 224 DEG R) IMMEDIATELY (NOT GOOD USAGE OF WORD 'IMMEDIATELY'). SIMULTANEOUSLY; RECEIVED TCASII RA TO 'CLB -- CLB.' THIS WAS FOLLOWED WITHIN SECONDS BY TCASII ANNOUNCING 'MAINTAIN VERT SPD' AND 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' CLBING L TURN TO 180 DEG HDG RESULTED IN SMOOTH TRANSITION AND MAX ALT OF 31300 FT MSL. ADVISED; MSP ARTCC OF COMPLIANCE WITH TCASII RA AFTER CTLR ISSUED 'MAINTAIN FL310' AND THEN ADVISED CTLR 'DSNDING BACK TO FL310.' WHEN QUESTIONED AS TO WHAT HAD OCCURRED; CTLR STATED THAT 'I ONLY NEED 5 MI SEPARATION BY LAW.' THIS WAS APPARENTLY A DEFENSIVE STATEMENT FROM A NEW CTLR I LATER LEARNED FROM CTR CHIEF. CTLR HAD RELATIVELY LIGHT WORKLOAD AND CONFLICT WAS WITH ANOTHER AIRLINER CLBING FROM FL290 TO FL330 COMING FROM LNK VOR TOWARDS OMA. CTLR APPARENTLY WAS NOT ANTICIPATING OUR TURN DOWN OMA 224 DEG R WHICH WAS OUR FILED RTE OMA DIRECT GCK VOR AND THUS THE CONFLICT. SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH MSP ARTCC SUPVRS/CHIEFS TO DISCUSS SAME. CTLR WAS BEING DEALT WITH BY MSP ARTCC SUPVRS. I FLIED AN AIR SAFETY RPT WITH MY COMPANY AS WELL.