I think I have expressed my opinion.

The issue is in reality, deregulation., It caused a need for hub and spoke. That means many things.

9-11 and the SWA effect caused another nail in the coffin.

RJ's are a Band Aid. They allow Air Lines to maintain markets share. Problem is that the CASM was all but unworkable at mainline. Pre CH11 the CASM would have been double at mainline.

Going in to the CH11 era ALPA and other Union Houses misidentified the threat of how scope changes were going to totally change the medium and short haul domestic network. Prior to CH 11 many airlines had backstops based on financial data. As the airlines keep going down a poor financial road, some of it by design, these backstops were met and the RJ boom ensued.

CH11 arrived at many airlines, and other did everything to avoid it. With the threat of voiding labor contracts the unions went with a known in an uncharted world by allowing large RJ's.

We are where we are now.

The fuel run up showed the vulnerabilities of this type of plan. 50 seat jets are generally not a viable option for many airlines. Contracts dictate many floors so we will see them around until said contracts and leases expire.

70-76 seat jets are slightly better, and offer a premium product on some carriers. Still not mainline but dispatch rates are decent.

When it comes to the companies and their labor management, the RJ's, 9-11, CH11, and maybe an ultimate financial meltdown (100 seat) have proven to be perfect storm after perfect storm.
Problem for airlines:
Visibility. The colgan crash will continue to show failures in the model. Major airlines cannot be held liable for a third parties mistakes, but if lawyers can connect the dots on prior performance before a contract was signed, there many be some issues for the mainline carriers and their payouts.
Result:
reduce liability and it will swing the other way. Money talks......

ALPA and other Associations:

We sold it, we can argue what ifs but it is water already over the dam. We have to deal with it. Many of us have many different solutions or ideas on how to start a fix. We need to look at all of em.
Where we will go from here:
-Problem with "Just do it":
The pilots at mainline gave up scope without a total understanding of what they were doing. That will no longer float as we all can see the effects of shortsightedness. Some of it was avoidable some not. Again, water under the bridge.
The problem is along with section one small jet scope changes we saw pay cut by 40,50%+, pensions gone, medical destroyed, other bennies like night override, international override, trip and duty rigs et al destroyed. Many of the guys in the mainline cockpits want this back too.
Many want this back without a scope sale and are happy to keep the line where it is. There is a strong argument that economics and slot constraints will take care of a lot of the RJ flying over the next decade.

The simple fact is that if pay can go up many do not want to recapture scope.Many see that SJS is acceptable if it slides no more. 100 seat jets are a target, but now pilots have the knowledge, and giving that or a company taking it in 1113C will have unintended consequences. Many labor relations professionals will agree. The age if Mainline Pilot innocence is over.

We can argue that until the ends of the earth the benefits of unity and how that would work going forward, and many will and have. That will take a bigger grass roots effort, an effort between mainline and RJ guys and gals.

The simple fact is that we hope the government solves our issues but many need to realize that those with money and power will keep their money and power to influence the decision and rule making. The new pilot min standards appear to be eye wash. Ab Inito programs will still be able to pump out pilots at 300 hrs. (less if it is part 142) Nothing will change by this. We need education, economics, regulation and unity to all play a part in this.

I know that not one single person has all the answers. It takes a industry wide effort of all professional pilots to change the direction we have been steering.

There are options about pay at mainline for these jets, but that should be another post!

(Not sure if this is what you were looking for. I just kind of started typing)