CHICAGO– United Airlines (UA) has appointed veteran flight attendant Scott Pejas as the new President of the Master Executive Council (MEC), the highest elected union position representing nearly 30,000 cabin crew at the airline.
His appointment follows the ratification of a new five-year labor agreement and places an experienced union leader at the forefront of one of the largest flight attendant groups in the United States.
Pejas, who began his career with United Airlines (UA) in 1996 and transferred from Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in 1999, plans to continue flying while serving in the leadership role.
Among his most recognized achievements is helping revise United’s Canada admissibility policy, a change that allows certain flight attendants with past DUI convictions to remain employed even if they cannot legally enter Canada.
AFA-CWA New Union Leadership Appointment
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) represents approximately 55,000 flight attendants across nearly two dozen U.S. airlines, with United accounting for more than half of that membership.
Leading United’s MEC is therefore one of the most influential positions within the union.
Pejas succeeds to the role after years of union service. He previously served as a local executive council leader in Chicago and built a reputation for working on contract negotiations, employee advocacy, and workplace policy reforms.
His appointment comes shortly after United flight attendants approved a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that delivers scheduled pay increases and several workplace improvements following years of negotiations.
The agreement marked one of the most significant labor milestones for the airline’s cabin crew in recent years.
Canada Policy Changes Explained
One of Pejas’ most notable contributions involved changing the wording of United’s long-standing Canada admissibility policy.
Previously, flight attendants were expected to remain qualified to operate flights throughout United’s global network.
That requirement became a serious issue for employees with DUI convictions because Canadian immigration rules can make foreign nationals with impaired driving offenses inadmissible unless they obtain special authorization or rehabilitation.
Under the revised policy, flight attendants who cannot legally enter Canada no longer face automatic job loss solely because of that restriction.
Experienced lineholder crew members can instead bid for schedules that avoid Canadian destinations. Reserve flight attendants may occasionally receive assignments involving Canada, resulting in a missed trip rather than immediate termination.
While repeated missed assignments could eventually lead to disciplinary measures, affected employees can continue working for the airline under the updated policy.
United has adopted a similar approach for pilots, although many other airlines still require flight crew to remain eligible for all destinations served by their networks.
Impact on Crew Employment
The policy change represents a significant employment safeguard for a relatively small group of flight attendants whose careers could previously have ended because of Canadian entry restrictions.
Union officials have described the revision as an example of how collective bargaining and policy negotiations can address operational challenges without automatically ending an employee’s career.
The change also provides scheduling flexibility while allowing United to continue complying with Canadian immigration requirements, PYOK reported.
As Pejas begins his term leading United’s largest employee group, his previous work on the Canada admissibility policy remains one of the clearest examples of the practical workplace changes achieved through union advocacy.
With a new labor contract now in place, his leadership is expected to focus on implementing contractual improvements while continuing to represent the interests of thousands of flight attendants across United’s global network.
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