Cobham pilots do not wear QF uniforms but there may be another subsidiary wearing them soon. I was told only 2 of the 717 were owned outright? As far as being the only pilots endorsed on the 717, no Cobham pilot was endorsed when they took over from Jetstar, my point? Nobody is irreplaceable.
As to the title of the thread "how low can you go", I suggest you talk to a Nutwork pilot about that, and I'm guessing the total absence of any of the normal conditions associated with an airline pilots agreement (at Notwork) would be putting downward pressure on other incumbents