If these companies where hurting as much as they say the are, they would provide better scheadules, increase base pay and provide better benifits. However this does not seem to be happening as one could earn nearly twice as much by roughnecking (I know that this is fact in south america and west africa for expats) with 28/28 scheadule, benifits and so on than a helicopter pilot in the gulf.
I am new to the industry, and what I can't understand why it is like this? Helicopter pilots are highly skilled people and I think we should be treated so. We spend our life saveings to get the training, struggle like mad to build hours and then get paid peanuts and treated like trash. And the thing is most people are happy with this because "hey, at least I'm flying". I think this attitude by the pilots has to change before things will get better.
If we have no self value, they for sure will not value us.