Zep,
I agree with you, but I'm trying to focus more on the Government's way of paying people than the poor negotiating executed by pilot "groups," which I consider an oxymoron due to the complete lack of solidarity I witnessed in the 121 world.
I want to qualify this, as I certainly don't mean to paint a broad stroke:
There is no effective means of evaluation within SOME aspects of G employment. Certain series of jobs will allow you to slide on up to a GS-13 without any means of scrutiny, while the guy doing the same job in the private sector is being scrutinized quarterly and knows that if he/she isn't productive, they'll be summarily terminated based on performance. The annual evaluations are a complete joke in the Federal system. How does a DHS TSA Aviation TSI deserve an $80,000+ salary for wandering around a ramp? These positions need to be reviewed and re-classified.