The jobs are not any harder than others. They are more prestigious and pay more so guys and gals lay in bed at night worrying that someone is going to steal THEIR seat. So the race to the bottom...err, the top is one fraught with danger and full of sharp knives. One may start their career by working at a slime bucket outfit or even pay for their job but as they move up the ladder they realize it makes it easier (but it doesn't, not in reality) to keep going onwards and upwards if they start dropping a landmine here and there. So, people only want ALPA pilots hired at ALPA airlines. You get elitist types that buy into the idea that you must act like a sycophant to whoever works for a "career destination" so you can get the all important and magical INTERNAL REC (praise thy name!) instead of being a professional that is respected by his coworkers and jumpseaters.
Or not. Whatever. I'm just a pilot. What do I know?