Your seniority is a tool.
The contract is a tool.
Learn to use your tools wisely and you will be a craftsman.
Don't worry about how others may or may not employ their tools.
I'm currently building the most beautiful summer I have ever had as a pilot at Delta. Pay and time off is a work of art. I wish I could show my paycheck stub and schedule in a gallery. Ok, that's enough bragging for now. You CAN make it happen, learn to use your tools.