The problematic new pilot union boss of United Airlines was written about earlier this week. He has now resigned.
The head of the United Airlines Master Executive Council has resigned after being voted to lead the Air Line Pilots Association. He resigned as a member of the organization late Wednesday.
There has been a significant negative response to things I posed on a pilot forum. While many of these things have been taken completely out of context and publicly weaponized against me, I cannot ignore their existence and the damaging effect it has had on many of my fellow pilots. For that, I am truly sorry and apologize unreservedly.
In accordance with personal and professional standards I have maintained throughout my entire career at United Airlines, and to avoid any damage to the reputation of the Company, my Union, and more importantly the 15,000 pilots I stepped forward to represent, I hereby resign from the position of Master Chair and the privilege of the UAL BOD seat with which it comes.
When I was asked to step forward, representing the United Airlines pilot group was the highest honor I could imagine and the pinnacle of my long and staunch union career. Out of respect for you, the 15,000 pilots of United Airlines, it became clear my position was untenable and a negative distraction to achieving what we all want… an Industry Leading Contract.
I want to thank the many, many people who know me personally and have supported me through the recent days, knowing this attack does not represent who I am as a person, a husband, a father, or a professional pilot at United Airlines. I have had a spotless record of service to the Association and the Company for over 27 years, but errors in judgment on a pilot forum may have damaged that reputation. I hope it has not.
I thank you for the privilege of serving you. I hope we can overcome the tribalism that has dominated UAL ALPA politics for far too long. As I said at the outset of the election, and I made clear to the MEC at the election, I had no political agenda, only service and the desire to serve your best interests. That is no longer possible.
It is time for me to go back to the Line and do what I have loved doing for over 27 years, which is flying with the best, most professional pilots in the aviation industry. You deserve the best contract in the industry to match and it is time for this distraction to end.
I am happy that Swindells decided to step down. It would have said a lot about United pilots if someone with a record like this were able to keep their job.
Swindells apologized to those who he might have offended, but not for being offensive. He says in his resignation note that the comments were taken out of context and publicly weaponized against him.
I don't think that's right. We are talking about a 60ish year old man who posted in forums and said about some of his colleagues, "I hope they all died slow painful deaths of anal cancer requiring multiple surgeries, and lots of weeping wounds."
The issue here isn't context, it's that this isn't how an adult should be communicating Is it appropriate for this type of communication to take place?
A new leader was appointed by the United Airlines pilots. As it turns out, this guy has recently been posting some pretty awful things online, and doesn't seem like the person pilots should want representing them on the United Airlines board of directors. Hopefully the union will be more careful next time, because he stepped down now.
Do you think this is a good idea?
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