I am confused, last I checked regional pilots are not making poverty wages and most have pretty decent benefit packages with competitive CBA's. Are they mainline pay rates, no but they are not poverty wages. You could even make a hell of a good career at one now.

My issue with this idea that everyone must be paid the same and "regional" aircraft should pay the same as "mainline" is that these same people have no problem with WB pay being higher or pay banding of other airlines. There is no difference as the argument is always the same in that the more people your aircraft can fly the more they are able to pay you to fly it.