quadspeed, IMHO your post is right on the money & NLH crew are guilty of what I (as an ex FR pilot ) was party to in the short haul world. . . . accepting less than my worth.
I don't have a solution, as sometimes at the time it is the best gig in town (or should I say the least onerous ) & certainly we all have bills to pay, & may not have the luxury of saying "no thanks" & taking our skills elsewhere.
What is indisputable however is that NLH has set the bar lower than ever for long-haul, of that point there can be no dissenting views worth listening to.