But while subsidiary pilots keep signing crap fear-based deals during a global pilot shortage, how exactly do you expect mainline crew to react?
Mainline pilots don't negotiate with the threat of all being fired though. Subsidiary pilots all have the threat of their jobs being moved to the next cheapest operator. Network, Alliance, Eastern ,Sunstate, Jetconnect etc etc
The other consideration is that if Subsidiary pilots ask for Mainline pay then the work will just be moved back to mainline and the company saves on all the cost of an AOC and management. They really are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The best thing to happen is that the companies totally screwup the labour market for pilots in this country so that literally there is noone and noone is learning to fly because it is uneconomical leaving them with a giant experience gap they can't fix before their next bonus round.