The United Airlines pilot Master Executive Council (MEC) of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is the administrative body that represents United Airlines pilots.
[1] The UAL MEC represents over 17,000 pilots at United as their formal collective bargaining agent under the Railway Labor Act. They are responsible for negotiating pilot contracts, in addition to enhancing airline safety and security.
On July 27, 1931, under the leadership of United Captain Dave Behncke, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) was created. Captain Dave Behncke served as ALPA's first president, from 1931 until 1951, during which time ALPA became active in Washington, D.C. and worked to secure legislation that made the airline piloting profession safer for both workers and passengers. [2] Today, the United MEC continues its history of involvement on Capitol Hill, along with promoting legislation that benefits pilots, advances airline safety, and enhances security.
The ALPA motto is "Schedule with Safety" and many of the safety features found in current aircraft and airports are the result of United ALPA volunteer initiatives. Their contract, the United Pilot Agreement, establishes work rules and provides for higher pay, making them one of the highest paid pilot groups in the industry. [3]
The United MEC Officers are elected by local council reps and serve a two-year term. MEC Chair Capt. Anne Worster, MEC Vice Chair Capt. Brian Noyes, MEC Secretary Capt. Nic Harwood, and MEC Treasurer Capt. Drew Minarcik will serve a term that ends February 28, 2026. Capt. Worster also serves on the ALPA Executive Board.
On the local level, the United MEC consists of member-elected representatives at the eleven United domiciles throughout the United States and Guam. Local pilot volunteers form the foundation of the committee, and full-time ALPA staff assist the group with legal, administrative, and communications support. [4]
CommuteAir is a regional airline of the United States founded in 1989. Today, CommuteAir operates more than 1,600 weekly flights, exclusively on behalf of United Express, serving over 75 U.S. destinations and 3 in Mexico. CommuteAir's fleet of Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft fly from its bases at Washington–Dulles and Houston–Intercontinental. The company was previously called CommutAir until July 26, 2022, when it legally changed its name to the present-day CommuteAir.
Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group and operates flights as United Express via respective code sharing agreements with United Airlines. It serves more than 180 markets in the Western Hemisphere. In a 1997 article from the Journal of Air Transportation, Mesa's safety record was noted as having the fewest incidents among domestic regional airlines at that time.
Alfred Clair Haynes was an American airline pilot who flew for United Airlines for 35 years. In 1989 he came to international attention as the captain of United Airlines Flight 232, which crashed in Sioux City, Iowa after suffering a total loss of controls. Having recovered and returned to service as a pilot, Haynes retired from United Airlines in 1991, and subsequently became a public speaker for aviation safety.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is a union representing flight attendants in the United States. As of January 2018, AFA represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. Since 2004, AFA has been part of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), an affiliate of AFL–CIO. AFA is also an affiliate of the International Transport Workers' Federation.
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The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is the largest pilot union in the world, representing more than 77,000 pilots from 43 US and Canadian airlines. ALPA was founded on 27 July 1931 and is a member of the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress. Known internationally as US-ALPA, ALPA is also a member of the IFALPA.
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The Superior Airmanship Award is an aviation award given by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The awards are presented at the ALPA Annual Air Safety Awards Banquet and is accompanied by video recreations of the events, filmed in simulators and scripted from eyewitness accounts, which led to the awards.
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Jeffrey Bruce "Jeff" Skiles is a retired airline pilot for American Airlines. On January 15, 2009, he became known globally as first officer of US Airways Flight 1549, when he worked together with captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger to water land the aircraft on the Hudson River after the plane lost both of its engines. They were widely celebrated as heroes for landing the plane with no loss of life.
Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American retired aviator, diplomat and aviation safety expert. He is best known for his actions as captain of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, when he ditched the plane, landing on the Hudson River after both engines were disabled by a bird strike. All 155 people aboard survived. After the Hudson landing, Sullenberger became an outspoken advocate for aviation safety and helped develop new protocols for flight safety. He served as the co-chairman, along with his co-pilot on Flight 1549, Jeffrey Skiles, of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'s Young Eagles youth introduction-to-aviation program from 2009 to 2013.
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Robert Llewellyn Sumwalt III is an American academic, aviator, government official and writer. He was a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board for over 15 years, from August 2006 to June 30, 2021, serving as the agency's chairman from 2017 to 2021. He currently serves as the executive director of Embry-Riddle's Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety.
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Emily Joyce Howell Warner was an American airline pilot and the first woman captain of a scheduled U.S. airline.
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John H. Prater is a former American labor union leader.
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