Wow. Alaska pilots are strangely defensive. I get it, we are all locked in with seniority and human nature does this weird thing where we have to justify our decisions. WN has our few guys like this too, but for the most part, we are a pretty pragmatic group these days that understands pilots come and go based on a lot more than a pay rate.
WN is a contract cycle behind. You are literally comparing apples to orange popsicles by comparing Alaska rates to current WN rates. WN will get a TA soon and the pay rates will either lead the industry or the TA will get voted down. Once our contract is ratified, then we can whip it out and start measuring. Until then, hyperbole like saying one or the other is dragging the industry down is ridiculous.
If I lived in Seattle or Anchorage and wasn't moving, I would seriously consider Alaska over SWA. Anywhere else....let's just say I would do what is best for me and my family. There is no getting around the fact that Alaska is a great airline with an outstanding product that is hemmed in by its competitors to being a very niche west coast airline. SWA is currently a dumpster fire, but is literally too big to fail. In the airline oligopoly world right now, you are either huge or you are for sale.