I imagine that the flight engineers railed at planes coming out without the third seat...no wonder in the future career first officers will complain of their jobs going way as well..
The FO will always be there as the push to get rid of them, which originated in Europe, has now been supplanted by the profit that can be made out of making them pay for their training.
Maybe they will soon bring back the third seat when the beancounters realise just how much money they are missing out on by not being able to sell it also.