This is all easily summed up:

#1: The public does not care about how little we get paid. They only care about cheaper tickets. This will never change no matter how illogical it seems.

#2: Airlines (Regional Airlines in particular) will always dangle a carrot which plenty of pilots will promptly run after. The latest "everybody at Eagle is guaranteed a job at AA" is a perfect example.

#3: Airlines (Regionals in particular) will continue relying on people's passion for flying to staff their aircraft. Granted, less people are taking the financial plunge these days..but there will always be kids with "daddy's money" who will push forward with flight training ignoring the costs vs returns.

#4: Any future pilot shortage will be offset by larger aircraft being flown for lower wages after all the current batch of pilots begin retiring...

It will take an act of Congress (re-regulation) to change any of this. Short of that...don't expect this industry to change for the better...ever. The looming pilot shortage, as real as it is will do nothing to change pay or QOL. It will simply force Airlines to invent new ways to pay us nothing and work us longer.