With the greatest of respect, Mr. O' Leary obviously understands the way the media works and gave a virtuouso performance, no matter how unpleasant it may appear to you.
May I point out that you need
training to use the media and get your message across? A good
PR firm could help. The Australian Trade Unions run courses for their staff on how to deal with the media and get their message across - its a skill that can be taught, and unions can do a brilliant marketing job if they work on it. Just ask any Australian pilot what "MUA, here to Stay" refers to.
The Public's attention span is very short. They are bombarded with advertisements all day and the ten second sound bite is all that sticks, hence Mr. O'Leary's repetitive "100,000 for 18 hours work" mantra. The public have no interest in the details of your rostering systems at all, and probably wouldn't understand its implications if they did. All that sticks is the sound bite. Professionals can help you develop your own.
Without wishing to open old wounds, the portrayal of professional pilots as overpaid prima donnas has been used with devastating effect before, noteably during the Australian pilots strike. I suggest you need to find professional help in building and delivering your story, including the sound bites. This is especially important because you cannot go too far without seeming to be alarmist and threatening your livelihoods.
Good luck!
P.S. If you hope to get public support for your cause, for a start, stop your colleagues from referring to passengers as "self loading freight".