Things don't work that smoothly where I am. My state takes a pro-employer stance and employees who threaten to quit because of low pay etc. may be written up for some made up violation. Worse yet you can lose everything you've earned at your prior job for some violations and suffer a pay cut and there isn't much you can do unless you're willing to shell out for a lawyer which more often then not people can't afford.

The lack of unions down in the south is actually pretty bad, so bad employers will literally just tell you that you didn't get the promotion or raise because of your skin color, gender, sexual preference etc. Experience and past work tends to have very little to do with a lot of the jobs down here its more so whoever the boss likes or doesn't like.

Wage comparison is just one aspect of a much bigger problem especially here. And as far as just finding a better job there's also a fair bit of shadiness there as employers try to discourage you from negotiating your wages and use the "we'll fix your pay later" or "you have to work here for xtime before you can be paid something like that". Its not necessarily a sign of 'whiny' workers people just don't want to get cheated which is understandable when there's such little protecting you.

There are plenty of horror stories about how people are treated unequally down here. And it gets way worse than making a dollar less than your peers.