There is another point which is being missed here. Pilots are now being worked to the limit of their legal duty hours, and sometimes beyond into discretion. Where would they get the time, the energy and the inclination to spend extra time going to meetings which are conducted at the convenience of office staff?
Furthermore when I am working I am physically out of touch with anyone who would need to contact me, even in an emergency. This is the most inconvenient aspect of being an airline pilot, not the other reasons which are often quoted by those who do not do the job. Responsibility and the studying required for the job are accepted by us all as what we are paid for.