Most don't start at those levels as there was an hours increment.
So every 500 hours total time you get an extra lump.
Every 500 turbine time you get an extra lump.
Every 6 months you get additional service lump
So if you start with 1000 hours through instructing you already have 2 increments which were about 1500 extra.
Then in 6 months you would get another 600 odd.
If you were at a high hours base you were getting 1 TT and 1 turbine increments and 2 service one year and then next 2 total, 2 turbine and 2 service the next.
So the pay went up quite rapidly.
So you would never be on that starting salary for more than 6 months.
For all the faults of Eastern its a brilliant start to your career. Yes you will be shafted by crewing and get mucked around a lot for what seems to be low pay. But it is a job, you do get trained well, there are some nice folk work for Eastern and the pay gets OK within 24 months.
There are lots of ex eastern out there and most more than likely would never go back. But I am sure all of them will admit they had some good times and some good training when they were there.