First-year pay is definitely too low, but I'm afraid that it would be even lower if each applicant individually bid for a job. Why wouldn't management just hire whichever legally qualified pilot offered to work for the least money? Desperation might lead some to bid a dollar an hour just to get a foot in the door. If some day there's a shortage of qualified applicants, things might be different, but now is is not a good time to "go it alone" on pay negotiations.