Believe me when I say that heels dug into the sand (local analogy) is not a problem from which I suffer. Personally, I have actively sought a company whose bean counters are doing a good job of ensuring its survival, and therefore my ongoing wage. This is not an issue of the 'bean counters at my airline are worse than the bean counters at yours'. It's endemic.
Maybe it's the old chestnut of supply and demand that really needs to be addressed. When was the last time that you told a wannabe that this career, and more generally this industry, in which so many of us have strived to gain a foothold is sucking us dry. Have you pointed out to any aspirants that the job that they are likely to get as an FO next week will be on the same net terms as the Command job that they will have three years hence. More responsibility, more experience, more chance of getting sued, screwed or abused but no better reward, other than the personal satisfaction of a job well done. Hard to buy food with that though.
We romanticise our living. I'm guilty of same myself. We even downplay our own roles. Before all passengers were terrorists, how many times did you hear someone answer the time honoured question "So what do you guys do up here?" with a self-demeaning quip? Do yourself a favour. No, do all of us a favour and anyone that is stupid enough to follow us into this a favour also. When someone asks you what you do in the cruise don't come back with 'read the comics' even if that is what you do. Perception is reality behind the locked door.
What is Joe SLF going to say when asked if she or he wants well trained flight/support crew? "Sh1t yeh!". What is Joe SLF going to say when asked if she or he will pay an extra brass razoo to fly with an outfit with slightly higher standards? "F@ck off!".
The bean counters know that they need to keep the outfit making money to survive. What they don't have to do is worry about starting out as an office clerk again if the outfit fails. They still have their experience and qualifications to take to another employer. What do we do? Go looking for that elusive direct entry XXXXX (Insert your desired rank here) job with a company which will give us some chance of building a career because we like what we do. Then we take another hit in pay, conditions or rank (and hence probably both of the former) to get going again. The spiral dive continues. Oh, and BTW, don't think that you're immune to the effect if you're working for the flag carrier. It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. Sooner or later you will be facing the same fate with which the rest of the industry is now well acquainted. Seniority is outlawed in some western countries!
I don't know what the answer is. I'm not really sure that there is one. I do know that there are things that we do which accelerate and exacerbate the problem. Just don't be so dishonest to yourself and to your friends as to describe this as a Greatjob. It may have been once but that was a moment in time.
Aviation was better last week....
[Edited to include the many other employees in this industry being industrially pillaged!]