MkVIII, yes, I am a pilot, and my research is based not only on the aviation industry but on other industries. Flying just isn't that hard compared to other professions. As you suggest I do some research on the aviation, I suggest you do some research on other professions. longjohn had some good stats in his original post, eg "A medical student will study for 7 years before graduation, they will then need to work in the hospital system for a number of years in order to gain experience. Starting salary, $70 - 80k after 7 years of study. Would you study 7 years to fly?"
27/09, thanks for your response. Unfortunately, I'm not speaking with tongue in cheek. I agree that there is a lot more to experience than engine time, which is why I doubled the amount. If we factor in studying and sitting for exams for pilots, we need to factor the same thing in for comparable professionals. Most of the lawyers I know have double-degrees which took them 5 years full-time - way more than any pilot I know has spent on education. I agree that the lawyer does not have 1,500 hours in court, but they will have 1,500 hours practising law, which comparable to flying experience.
As Sunfish says, the industry is changing and the dinosaurs are reinventing themselves. It's up to the individual whether or not they want to be a dinosaur. Personally, I think unionising will be difficult given the steady stream of eager young recruits, but even if it was done, it would simply strengthen the public perception of pilots being glorified bus drivers and corral the pilots for an airline counter-strategy, obviously off-shore.