While I unfortunately don't have time to respond to the rest of your post, some of which I agree with, but a lot I disagree with, I will say that "professionals" get paid more than $20k a year...a lot more. Take a step back and think about your rhetoric. You paid how much for time and experience for this job, and you get paid how much?

Knowing the contract, pay, and benefits going into a job does not mean employees should just roll over and take the scraps that are given to them while management takes home the cake and the steak. Sure, there is a happy medium, but right now we are (and have been) in a situation where management has been absolutely crushing us with pay and benefits, for years. Being appeased because it would only hurt a little bit (if a marginal TA were to pass) is not necessarily right. It's like the beaten wife getting beaten less and being told to be happy about it because the beatings are a fundamental part of existence (similar to the rhetoric that our low pay has to exist for the company to survive). If the numbers don't work out, change the business plan. Labor costs aren't the only costs that can be reduced.

Maybe employing smarter people who can make more efficient lines and schedules would be a start, or crew trackers who are a little bit better. Or maybe better management. I don't know the answer, but I do know pilots aren't the only cost to the company.