I can't believe they said
Are you aware that you must follow all direct orders no matter what they are?
This is absolute BS.
Even in the military you don't have to follow illegal orders and as an employee you only have to follow reasonable directions that are directly relevant and necessary for your job.
The thing is the majority of the workforce is more than willing to oblige. Doesn't mean they are happy to do so, but they are trapped in the system with no alternatives in sight.
I have slim hopes that down the road my union will find a way to prove that indeed that management is indeed giving me unacceptable orders. It certainly would be nice to receive some back pay as compensation for not being allowed to come to work for who knows how long. The thing is if that happens there is no way I will ever go back at this point. My mind has already been made.