Many, regional airlines can't seem to fill their classes. Some offer signing bonuses. This does not indicate a classic supply and demand situation.

As far as pilots managing to rectify the pay situation...

Is it possible that regional pilots who go to mainline carriers will speak up in contract negotiating and say we should take a 3 percent pay raise instead of the 5 percent offered so that it can (somehow, just making a hypothetical argument) go towards where they just came from, the truly needy, their remaining pals at the regionals? It's possible, but everyone knows it won't happen. Talk about ridicule and being shunned. Instead they will settle in for their share of the pie and be glad they are out of the regional world, for they know they are a lucky minority.

And therein is a vital component to the brilliant pyramid scheme that airline flying has become.

As far as real poverty not applying to regional pilots does anyone think living in plywood bunk beds at a crash pad isn't poverty? Really?