Interesting. When deregulation came in, under Carter, pilot wages were good. A free market drove them to the bottom. What works for other workers, besides a closed shop, is the old European Guild system...a shoe repairman, or a carpenter, could not just free-lance. There were limited slots (the Guild limited entry, like the AMA limited the numbers allowed into practice up until the 30's). Sometimes this was controlled by schools, sometimes by workers organizations. Somehow, the only way airline pilots wages will increase is limited entry, controlled by pilot controlled organization. Otherwise wages will continue down. Why, when quite good wages exist overseas (China, Middle East, etc, with housing provided, and NO commute), more people choose this rat-race, I'll never know.