The Payscales are established, cheaper means nothing to them. If you've got 10k hrs, and another guy has 1k hrs, both are the same as far as the company is concerned. Might be happier to hire the lower time pilot just because they don't have turbine PIC time yet, if you hire the widebody captain, and the majors start hiring again, or recalling, then those guys have the opportunity to go back to their old jobs.

We only wish our experience would correspond with our pay, but the truth is much less enjoyable. once we're passed insurance minimums, or hiring minimums, we're all the same in the company's eyes.