CARJ FLT CREW FAILS TO SET ALTIMETER LEAVING FL180. FATIGUE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED.

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ON THE KNOX ARR INTO ORD WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS BEARS INTXN AT 11000 FT. OUR CRUISING ALT ON THE SHORT FLT WAS FL180. THE ACFT WE WERE FLYING; A CRJ; HAS THE ALTIMETER SETTING BLINK WHILE PASSING THROUGH FL180; BUT WHEN FL180 IS THE CRUISING ALT; THE COMPUTER THINKS YOU HAVE ALREADY SET THE ALTIMETER SETTING FOR THE DSCNT. SO AS A RESULT WE WERE IN PART DEPENDENT ON THIS FEATURE TO REMIND US TO SET THE NEW ALTIMETER SETTING. WE CROSSED BEARS INTXN WITH 29.92 SET WHEN THE ALTIMETER AT ORD WAS 30.22 MAKING OUR ACTUAL ALT AT BEARS INTXN OFF BY 300 FT. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO US ABOUT IT; AND THE CAPT AND I NOTICED THIS DISCREPANCY WHILE RUNNING THE 10000 FT ITEMS ON OUR CHKLIST WHICH HAS US CHK THE ALTIMETER SETTINGS AGAIN. THIS DUTY; WHILE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BOTH CREW MEMBERS; IS PUT ON THE PNF ACCORDING TO THE CHKLIST. BEFORE LEVELING AT OUR NEXT ASSIGNED ALT WITH APCH THE CORRECT ALTIMETER WAS SET. FOR ME; THIS FLT WAS A LAST MIN ASSIGNMENT THAT I ONLY LEARNED ABOUT UPON ARR AT ORD AFTER MY FIRST LEG OF THE DAY. RE-ASSIGNMENTS AND JUNIOR ASSIGNMENTS AT MY AIRLINE HAVE RISEN TO EXTREME LEVELS RECENTLY AS THERE IS A MAJOR STAFFING PROB AT REGIONAL AIRLINES. THERE SIMPLY ARE NOT ENOUGH PLTS TO DO ALL THE FLYING. MY AIRLINE IS HAVING PLTS FLY AT THE LEGAL LIMIT AS FAR AS BLOCK TIME; DUTY TIME; AND MINIMUM REST REQUIREMENTS ON A DAILY BASIS; AND NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE THE TIME TO REALLY RECOVER. AT THE SAME TIME THE COMPANY DOES NOT RESPECT THE PLT'S RIGHT/RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL IN FATIGUED WHEN THEY FEEL UNFIT TO FLY. PLTS ARE ACCUSED OF LYING AND SIMPLY TRYING TO GET OUT OF FLYING OR TOLD THAT THEIR SCHEDULE DOES NOT SUPPORT THE FATIGUE CALL. EVERY DAY; THIS CUMULATIVE FATIGUE PROB IS GETTING WORSE; AND MAKES IT HARDER TO CATCH THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN LEAD TO BIGGER PROBS IF LEFT UNCHKED. I FEEL I SPEAK FOR MY ENTIRE PLT GROUP IN VOICING A CONCERN WITH OVERALL FATIGUE.