COMMUTER CAPT THREATENED BY RECENT WORK FORCE REDUCTION; CONTINUED TO FLY TRIP WHILE ILL.

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ON DUTY ILLNESS. RPTR WAS PF; CAPT; 10000 HRS TOTAL TIME; 140 HRS LAST 90 DAYS; 7000 PLUS HRS IN TYPE; ATP MULTIENG. ACFT WAS LOW FIXED WING; 2 ENG TURBOPROP; ADVANCED COCKPIT; SCHEDULED PAX CARRIER (COMMUTER). IT HAS A CREW OF 3 (INCLUDING FLT ATTENDANT); SEATS 30; GROSS WT OF 25353 LBS. THE FLT WAS A PAX FLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. IN A TCA (CLASS B); ON GND TALKING TO SFO GND. NIGHT VMC. THE EVENT OCCURRED DURING TAXI ON TXWY A AT TXWY S. MY AIRLINE HAS BEEN IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PLTS FOR OVER 2 YRS. TO SAY THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE GOING POORLY WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. ADDITIONALLY; OUR CEO HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS 'ANOTHER OBNOXIOUS CHARACTER.' AS A RESULT OF THIS; PLTS STAGED AN IMPROMPTU SICK OUT ON FRIDAY. THE COMPANY'S RESPONSE WAS TO RANDOMLY (SO THEY SAY; APPEARS TO BE SENIOR; RESPECTED CAPTS) FIRE 9 PLTS (20 PERCENT) OF THOSE WHO DID NOT RPT FOR WORK. THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN REGARDLESS OF A LEGITIMATE ILLNESS; DOCTOR'S NOTE; AND/OR PAST ATTENDANCE. SUNDAY WAS RUMORED TO BE ANOTHER 'BLUE FLU' DAY. MY HUSBAND (ALSO A PLT FOR THE COMPANY; ON FAMILY LEAVE OF ABSENCE) AND I AGONIZED OVER WHETHER I SHOULD CALL IN SICK OR NOT. WE DECIDED THAT FAMILY FINANCES (HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM A 5 MONTH MATERNITY LEAVE; AND MY HUSBAND BEING ON FAMILY LEAVE OF ABSENCE) DICTATED NOT PARTICIPATING IN ANY ILLEGAL JOB ACTIONS. THIS IN MIND; I RPTED FOR WORK ON SUNDAY. AFTER 2 LEGS OF A 6 LEG DAY; I STARTED FEELING NAUSEOUS. BY THE END OF 4 LEGS (INCIDENTALLY AT OUR DOMICILE); I FELT THAT VOMITING WOULD MAKE ME FEEL BETTER; I ALSO HAD GAS AND INCIPIENT DIARRHEA. I FELT THIS WAS DUE TO 'MILD' FOOD POISONING. ON LNDG (AT OUR DOMICILE) I TOLD MY FLT ATTENDANT TO HOLD BOARDING UNTIL I RETURNED. I WENT TO THE BATHROOM TO RELIEVE MY GUT AND TO DECIDE IF I SHOULD CONTINUE. MY JUDGEMENT SAID DON'T PUSH IT. BUT CONSIDERING THAT NO ONE KNEW I WASN'T FEELING WELL; I DID NOT LOOK SICK YET; THE RUMORED SICK OUT; AND WORST OF ALL; I WAS AT MY DOMICILE; I DECIDED I WOULD PROBABLY GET FIRED; SO I HAD BETTER FLY THE NEXT LEG. UPON RETURNING TO THE AIRPLANE A GATE AGENT; MY FLT ATTENDANT AND FO ALL ASKED IF I WAS ALL RIGHT. TO EACH I ANSWERED 'SO-SO.' I ALSO EXPLAINED TO MY FO I WAS NAUSEOUS; BUT FELT THE WORST THAT WOULD HAPPEN WOULD BE TO FILL A SICK SACK. MY FO WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION; BUT DIDN'T PRESS THE ISSUE. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER; DURING THE TAXI IN I HAD TO STOP AND FILL (COMPLETELY) THE SICK SACK BEFORE CONTINUING. AT THIS POINT THERE WAS NO QUESTION ABOUT DOING THE LAST LEG HOME. MY FO CALLED SCHEDULING WHILE I CLEANED MYSELF UP. SINCE WE WERE THE LAST FLT HOME; IT LOOKED FOR A WHILE LIKE WE WOULD BE SPENDING THE NIGHT. EVENTUALLY; DISPATCH ROUTED THE LAST 2 REMAINING AIRPLANES THROUGH OUR DOMICILE; SO THAT MY CREW AND PAX GOT TO THEIR DESTS. I SPENT THE FOLLOWING DAY IN BED AND DIDN'T EAT ANYTHING. THE SECOND DAY I FELT NORMAL; BUT WEAK BY LATE AFTERNOON. THE THIRD DAY I RETURNED TO WORK. WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ASKED HOW I WAS FEELING: MY DOMICILE STATION MGR; A COFFEE BAR CASHIER AT SFO; AND SEVERAL PLTS FROM VARIOUS DOMICILES. I FEEL THE ONLY THING PROTECTING ME FROM BEING FIRED IS THAT MY ILLNESS WAS 'PUBLICLY' NOTED. THIS IS BECAUSE I AM VERY SENIOR; WELL RESPECTED; AND I 'BESTED' (TWICE) THE VERY EGOTISTICAL DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL WITH REGARDS TO MY RECENT MATERNITY LEAVE AND MY HUSBAND'S FAMILY LEAVE OF ABSENCE. UNFORTUNATELY; TO RETAIN MY JOB; I FEEL I WOULD HAVE TO USE THE SAME POOR JUDGEMENT AGAIN.