You realize that the pilot's unions and seniority system are tools used by management to keep labor costs down? Pilots seem to blindly back the union as if it's working for them, not for management.

Without the union or without seniority there would be a free market at play which would require airlines pay pilots market rates in order to attract new pilots and retain their experienced ones.

Doug is just doing his job which is to make as much money as possible any way he can for himself and the shareholders (mostly himself). Our job is to fly airplanes. It seems both sides are good at their jobs but lousy at the other side's job.

If you think the union and seniority system is for the benefit of the pilots (as it was originally intended but is no more), try getting rid of it or refusing to join it and see how far you get.

If you think making 200-250K annually is the holy grail of aviation (very few of us ever reach it), try looking back and seeing how much pilots used to make (adjusted for inflation of course) and you will see not only a drastic reduction in average salaries over time but much lower high end salaries as well.

We've seen again and again that the demand and compensation for pilots has nothing to do with a free market model.