You have to look at individual airlines here. In my case the pilots wanted the company to buy the regional operators and add the regional pilots to the seniority list. Our pilots thought that job security would be better if the pilot groups were unified and had common goals. It was the company that refused to do this because they thought the regionals would be cheaper to use by keeping them independent. Since that time I am very well aware that there has been no great move to prevent the transfer of pilots from regionals to our mainline operation. I have flown with many ex-regional pilots now on our payroll. The only curious thing I have noticed is that relatively few regional pilots came from our own associate regional carriers. The cynical guess is that our company has a secret agreement with our regional carriers that we will not "poach" their pilots and increase their training costs.
I understand that some of the confrontations have been very badly handled. However, do not paint all pilot groups with the same brush. Internal battles in these trying times only really help the people who see advantage in a feuding pilot group.
Of far more significance as far as the career of regional pilots is concerned is the reduction in the size of mainline fleets. At one time, flow through from the regionals to the mainlines was possible. Nowadays, with fleet size reductions and furloughees waiting to be recalled it could be many years before regional pilots see the majors hiring. Even when hiring begins it could be under conditions which are not as attractive as they used to be.
Many new pilots saw the regionals as a way to the big pay check. Now the big pay check may not be so big and the RJ could be a career pinnacle.
Just posted this a little after 411 made his post so am editing.
Frankly 411 anyone who works with you will have a miserable career being told how they cannot meet the level of perfection you demonstrate and require. You sound like a mico-managing, interfering, arrogant know-it-all who would drive anybody with an ounce of intelligence and self-respect into insanity in a month. Just thought I would let you know - cheers!
Edited again to add the word "arrogant"