Although this will seem obvious to some, imho it bears repeating for those who either weren't watching before or haven't been through it before.
Right about now in negotiations, news like this usually seems to miraculously start happening,
possibly in an effort to weaken some pilot's resolve or convince the pilots they need to "save" United Airlines:

- the company starts showing poor financial performance

- the company starts reducing future profit estimates

- the company starts broadcasting difficulties through the media

- the company starts broadcasting how much cheaper the RJ's operate

- the company starts broadcasting how foreign competition reduces our profits

- the company starts to cater to one group's desires over the other to split the unity and voting

- the company uses "avg." pay of pilots at places like Sun Country in their "fair" estimates

- the company publically overestimates the cost of the pilot's offer

- the company publically advertises that the pilots are causing any current problems

- the company claims they need money for new airplanes

- the company claims the pilot's offer could jeopardize or bankrupt the airline

- the company claims the pilot's offer is unfair to other employees

- the company claims the MEC has rejected an excellent offer

- the company claims large percentage increases in costs based on exaggerated future assumptions

- the company will try to create any guilt scenario to sway momentum and voting of the pilot group

And our job is to not take any of the above ideas as our personal responsibilities.
The suspect issues above are for mgmt. to manage. That's their job, not ours.

For example, when UA pilots took their second concessionary pay cut after the bankruptcy, (the bankruptcy rates we make today)
it was predicated on "saving" the airline. Jake Brace, UA CFO later came out and arrogantly stated to the media
"the second round of pilot pay cuts exceeded our expectations"..they were planning on paying us more and we handed it to them out of fear and greed.

We are a cost of doing business, just like fuel, maintenance etc.
Do the fuel companies or Boeing give their products away when management comes up with subjective excuses?
No.
Neither should we. Stand strong for our profession and the contract we'll have to work under for possibly a very long time
and watch for the above maneuvers from management as the negotiations proceed.
History has shown they are consistent and, consistently, some guys buy into them and succumb to mgmt. imposed fear and greed.