January 17, 2009
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ORLANDO, FL --- Today, the 11 Local Executive Councils (LECs) of the Delta and Northwest pilots’ unions, each represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International, met in Orlando to elect new leadership for the pilots of the merged Delta Air Lines. Each LEC consists of representatives elected by local rank and file pilots. With today’s election, eleven local councils join to make up the new Delta Master Executive Council (MEC), the governing body of the airline’s 12,424 pilots.
The recent corporate closing of the Delta/Northwest merger set in motion the consolidation of the two pilot groups’ governing bodies which culminated today with the election of a single leadership team. The Delta MEC now consists of 33 LEC representatives and four newly elected officers that comprise the MEC Administration.
Captain Lee Moak, a New York based international 767 pilot, was elected to the position of MEC Chairman. Captain Jim Van Sickle, an Anchorage-based 747-200 pilot, was elected MEC Vice Chairman; Captain Bob Hesselbein, a Detroit-based A-320 pilot, was elected MEC Secretary; and Captain Kingsley Roberts, an Atlanta-based 737-800 pilot, was elected MEC Treasurer. The officers assume their new duties immediately.
Captain Moak was hired by Delta in 1988 and served most recently as the Delta MEC Chairman since October 1, 2005. He served in the Marine Corps and Naval Air Reserves and is a retired Commander.
Captain Van Sickle was hired by Northwest in 1984 and served most recently as a member of the Northwest MEC Negotiating Committee. He served in the Navy and the Naval Air Reserves and is a retired Commander.
Captain Hesselbein was hired by Northwest in 1986 and is currently ALPA’s National Security Committee Chairman. He served in the Army, Air Force and Air National Guard and is a retired Lieutenant Colonel.
Captain Roberts was hired by Delta in 1988 and served most recently as the Delta MEC Secretary-Treasurer since October 1, 2005. He served seven and one half years on active duty in the Air Force flying C-130s.
"On behalf of the entire Delta MEC Administration, it is a privilege and an honor to have been elected to serve the Delta pilots," stated Captain Moak. "The past decade has been a harsh reminder of the volatility of our industry and our profession, but I know the Delta pilots are up to the challenge. Over the course of the past year, the Delta and Northwest pilot leadership shattered the traditional way of doing business and forged a new standard for labor’s role in airline mergers. Now that our pilots are represented by ALPA’s single largest Council, it will be up to the elected leadership to continue to navigate the challenges ahead and capitalize upon every opportunity for the benefit of the world’s largest pilot group. I am confident the leadership will work together cooperatively with integrity and determined resolve to advance the best interests of the almost 12,500 pilots we represent."
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