Captain Paul Rice, First Vice-President

Capt. Paul Rice (United) serves as ALPA’s First Vice-President. Prior to his election to that post, he served four years as the Association’s vice-president–administration/secretary.

“It is time that we coordinate our efforts across the Association, engaging management as a solidified union to demand that our voices are heard, our sacrifices recognized, and our expertise acknowledged,” Rice told the ALPA BOD before it elected him. “Pilots demand excellence from their union’s elected leaders, and I am proud and honored to continue to represent my fellow pilots on all issues in all venues throughout the world. During our 75th anniversary, the democratic process that has served us so well has once again proved that airline pilots remain in command of their union.”

Rice believes one of the biggest challenges facing today’s airline pilots is the rapid globalization of the airline industry. ALPA must be a major player in the industry’s ever changing landscape, Rice said. “We need to take our place as participants in the globalization of the industry and work with our brothers and sisters from around the world to ensure that airline pilots everywhere are protected and able to work in a safe and secure environment,” Rice said.

He is also the Deputy President of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA). He served as the IFALPA executive vice-president of the North American Region and also as the IFALPA director for U.S. ALPA. He was chairman of United Council 11 from 1995 to 1999. Rice is a 30-year veteran of United Airlines, and is a Boeing 777 captain.

Rice and his wife, Vickie Currier-Rice, are the parents of two children, Jordan, a third-generation pilot, and Maxine, a high school senior.