I think that ChrisH's comments were completely misinterpreted. He was not bringing the value of the pilot's flying the plane into the mix. You have to see his angle, where the "precious CARGO" in the back are people versus boxes. For that reason alone you would hope that you can rationalize that pilots flying passengers should be entitled to at least the same compensation that someone flying boxes around is earning.
By all means, the best thing we can all hope for is that everyone starts making more money, and that doesn't just include guys in the airlines. When the industry as a whole becomes profitable everyone from top to bottom will reap the rewards (IMHO!)