I don't disagree with stopping the whipsaw, but I don't recall being "promised" anything until I got out of regional flying. At that point I was old enough to realize it was BS. 9/11 and its after-effects taught me the only certain things in aviation are furloughs, divorces, bankruptcies, concessions, and stabbing each other in the back to grow your airline.
Perhaps if we had been focused at that time, the current trend never would have started. Better late than never though.