Actually there is some interest in something similar - the pattern of new hires coming in a higher rates than the existing employees are paid due to them being in a 'different market' or era than when the existing employees were in when they hired on.
If, for example, the market you're in pays most certificate-holding entry-level people about $45K/year and you've been at the biz for a while and you started substantially lower than that wage, you may have increased your pay to $47K over the years. It seems unreasonable to think that some young upstart deserves the wages you have barely surpassed just for being in the right place at the right time, but that is the way it sometimes works.
At one time my ex came to our employer through an education/employment program as a level 1 tech. He worked for a number of years at that lower end of the scale edging up to a level 2 tech and knowing him, never slacked and probably made others look less industrious (he's somewhat hyper and driven). He finally inquired as to why he was 1 of only 2 level 2 techs in the place (about 7000 employees) and was told that they had a couple of level 6 techs that whose salaries they were 'offsetting' with his lower salary and grade. Don't you know he was overjoyed and calm upon discovering the truth.... NOT! Upon his departure to greener pastures, his supervisor requested an 'exit interview' and had the gall to ask the ex if he knew how much it was going to cost to replace him... more than double what they were paying him. With his family's history of strokes I am still surprised that he didn't keel over right then and there.
Life's not fair so you have to be able, willing and ready to go to bat for what you believe to be right.
