I suppose it primes the discussion with "does my employer even see me as valuable? Perhaps more valuable than I am being paid for?"

If the answer to that is no, no amount of backup will convince them otherwise. Then you get into the question of "why am I working here" and it forces you to leave anyway.

Somehow, all paths lead to leaving. And I think this is what the original article is getting at - if you want more money, your best bet is to leave.