They can compare because they offer $27,000 with eligible type rating and while the upgrade may not be 6 months currently it will be less than that within a few months. It is pretty common knowledge we will be hiring OTS soon.
As far as the supreme negativity on this board just go check out other boards. The least negativity exists at the regionals with no career progression. SkyWest, Mesa and Republic have the fewest complaints. Here and elsewhere you have the contingent that will never be happy because they have yet to receive their “entitlements.”