Tacoma,
It's swings and roundabouts. From shortly after the turn of the century (9/11) until recently, it was quite the opposite.
US Legacy carrier pilots took enormous cuts and concessions, so went from being some of the best major airlines in the world to work for, to some of the worst. Their pay was dwarfed by the likes of BA, Lufthansa, KLM, CX, EK etc... As you know, multiple bankruptcies leveraged the workforce into the corner.
Thankfully they are now reversing that trend, and are making up for lost ground. In my opinion, where the US major carriers have beaten the rest of the world is the rostering practices. While you'll hear moans from the beneficiaries of the contract, they are head and shoulders above the rest of the world..
I think the current thread, on a Europe-centric message board is a delayed version of what happened in the US in the last decade. Things are slipping and morale is in the dumpster.
What you think of the industry or your employer is one thing, and there are plenty of opinions and differences there. What happens when the door closes and you call for push is largely the same throughout the industry, and it is still a superb way to earn a crust. We just wish the crust would stop shrinking, as it seems to have on your side of the Atlantic (for now).