It's true that sometimes people need to get paid. The point of the boycot is that in fields like Mathematics these people already work for free.
The only thing Elsevier does is archival and distribution. Editing and typesetting is done by the authors themselves, who provide camera-ready copies. I do not believe the publishers ever get involved in managing mail. The reviewing of paper is done for free by academics. It is coordinated by an academic on the editoral board of the paper. Even these editors mostly work for free or for some small compensation.
While Elsevier do provide some service (archival and distribution), their service is in absolutely no relation to the cost. The difficult parts of the business are already done by unpaid volunteers.
The only thing Elsevier does is archival and distribution. Editing and typesetting is done by the authors themselves, who provide camera-ready copies. I do not believe the publishers ever get involved in managing mail. The reviewing of paper is done for free by academics. It is coordinated by an academic on the editoral board of the paper. Even these editors mostly work for free or for some small compensation.
While Elsevier do provide some service (archival and distribution), their service is in absolutely no relation to the cost. The difficult parts of the business are already done by unpaid volunteers.