Unions only have power in limited circumstances in an increasingly globalised world.
Auto workers in the USA have to bear in mind that if they want the new factory then their pay has to be competitive or the company will build it in Mexico. Maritime unions have priced American crews out of the cruise ship industry and the cruise lines have registered under flags of convenience in order to employ third world crews.
Australian miners still have it good as the resources are underground in Australia and cheap foreign labour can’t be imported. The mining companies have no option but to pay up, a miner on the right machine can pull in more than an airline F/O.
I’m currently on 45% of what I was making last year, have lost my fixed pattern roster for at least the next 2.5 years and now get no additional pay for working on a day off. I consider myself luck to still have a job as 25% of our pilots have been laid off. Hopefully this is the bottom and things start picking up as borders reopen. This could be a rough indication of what to expect for other airline pilots.