Don’t know much about him, but it seems that a unified MEC vote is a very positive thing.

His campaign email from last week is totally solid and I wish him all the best:

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Fellow United Pilots,

I am currently the Captain Representative and Chair of Council 33 (DEN) and have recently submitted my willingness to serve as MEC Chair to the UAL-MEC for consideration during Monday’s election. Last minute maneuverings during the MEC election process aren’t new, but are something for which I am not a fan. My decision to seek this position came after observing the process gravitate toward another split and possibly controversial vote between two candidates.

My concern over this probable outcome compelled me to reach out to fellow MEC members to gauge their support should I offer myself as a candidate. I’ve harbored no ambition to serve as Master Chair, but I do want our next leader to have wide support from your Council Officers. Certainly, our next leader needs the support of the United Pilots. Too much is at stake to settle for division or distraction. My candidacy is centered on the belief that I can aggressively pursue MEC direction, foster unity at the MEC and among our pilot group, and help bring to reality the UPA that you deserve.

Wednesday marked my 30 year anniversary at United. Until my 11/29/2022 election as Interim Captain Representative/Temporary Chair, I had enjoyed 10 years as a line pilot without ALPA title. That said, I have served in many positions within our union, which I’ll list below. But ALPA work should not be a career, and my break was reenergizing and prudent.

I served on the UAL-MEC as S/O Representative and S/T from 1995-97. I then went on to serve as Member and Chair of what is now the UAL-MEC Alliance and Scope Oversight Committee. I’ve served on the Council 33 Grievance Committee, four years on the UAL-MEC Merger Committee, the UAL-MEC National Affairs Steering Committee, and was the Local Strike Chair in Denver during merger UPA negotiations. I have been at the negotiating table on two occasions as a subject matter expert (Scope and Merger).

I list this experience with some reluctance, as experience is no guarantor of performance. But you should know that, if I am elected, your MEC Chair has some mileage. [size=12pt] [/size]

Should Monday’s UAL-MEC meeting result in my selection as your MEC Chair I hope to get to many Council meetings around the system. It’s important that I personally hear from and meet as many of you as possible. However, I need no input to know you want a contract yesterday. To that end, I’ll get right to work.
Respectfully,

Captain Garth Thompson”