ALPA Minimum: 45K for first year FO on probation. 60k second year. 1st Year captain 80k. After that ALPA can negotiate within each carrier.

45K provides barely enough money for a starter family to get by in most areas of the country for a first year - provided they have savings.

My friend is a trouble line-man with the local utility. His base is 104k. He usually makes $150-160k. No, not a new employee. But a first year trouble line main starts at 85K. They generally train you. They have a union. Not an association. Getting rid of the RLA is the critical first step. But that's been said for 30+ years.

Seriously, I've seen (and often experienced) the decline for a long long time. I am amazed people (or are they only pilots?) still walk into the hail of terrible pay like they are Australian soldiers at Gallipoli