WASHINGTON, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Veda Shook today was seated on the Executive Council of the largest federation of unions in the United States, the AFL-CIO. As a member of the Council, President Shook will play an influential role, ensuring a strong voice for Flight Attendants and serving as an advocate for working families.

Shook began her term as AFA International President in January 2011. She brings almost 20 years of experience in advancing issues for Flight Attendants as a local AFA leader, successful union organizer, and AFA International Vice President. Shook’s passion for her profession as a Flight Attendant has fueled her successful work at the bargaining table, organizing new Flight Attendant union members and promoting legislation that improves Flight Attendants’ work and home lives.  As an experienced union leader, current Flight Attendant and working mother, Shook brings a valuable perspective to the Executive Council and its advocacy for working families.

“It is an honor to be such an integral part of the AFL-CIO, serving as the voice for working families and promoting our right for collective bargaining,” said Shook. “It is crucial that, as a council, we constantly find ways to engage workers and work together to make unions more accessible to our members and all workers who strive to have a voice at work.”

Shortly after graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and beginning her career as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant in 1991, Shook became involved with her local chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants. As union president at Alaska Airlines, Shook chaired a successful negotiating team that helped gain significant, industry-leading improvements for all Alaska Flight Attendants by focusing on items that were valuable to the Flight Attendant membership. Through creative and progressive contract language, she helped to advance gender equality and was instrumental in gaining the inclusion of many family-friendly policies.  

Shook’s work as International Vice President included mentoring new leaders and leading successful organizing drives that added Flight Attendants from five different airlines to AFA, the largest Flight Attendant union in the world.  Her focus on achieving results thorough collaborative efforts will be Shook’s hallmark on the AFL-CIO Executive Council.

For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill.  Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants at 21 airlines come together to form AFA, the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

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