Veda Shook's Email & Phone

Veda Shook, who was elected International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA effective January 1, 2011, is proud to be a Flight Attendant, first and foremost. She plans to continue flying and sounding out members even as she takes the helm of the world's largest union representing only Flight Attendants. As International Vice President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA since 2007, Veda has traveled constantly to meet AFA leaders and members, as well as other public officials and community and labor leaders who can help Flight Attendants gain respect and fair compensation for their work. After graduating from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in International Relations, and fluency in French, Veda moved to Portland, Ore., on a lark. Her career as a Flight Attendant began when a friend recommended she apply for a job with Alaska Airlines. Veda has been a Flight Attendant since June 7, 1991. Veda quickly organized with fellow Portland Flight Attendants to gain local status for Portland, apart from Seattle, and ran successfully to become the first president of the Portland council. Our union should be directed by the membership, and I ve always been a good listener,? she declares. When she was elected president of the Alaska Airlines MEC, she made sure that members? voices came through loud and clear at Alaska, organizing the Volunteer Organizers for Information, Communication and Education (VOICE) committee, and then tapping their counsel during negotiations. That led to an industry-leading contract with Alaska, cementing Veda's status as a successful negotiator. She has been both tough and accommodating in negotiations, fostering cooperative relationships that have benefited Flight Attendantsfrom compensation increases to work flexibility enhancements to cabin air safety protections to family leave provisions. Flight Attendants certainly understand the importance of family,? Veda said. The profession of Flight Attendant allows us the flexibility to be full-time employees and dedicated parents or caretakers for loved ones. We shouldn t have to compromise one for the other. We can do both. Veda improved the situation for all working mothers at Alaska Airlines by adding newer, more progressive language to the contract, including a provision to extend maternity leave. Now the mother of two children, Isabelle and Donovan, Veda continues to advocate for working parents and the ability for all Flight Attendants to care for loved ones. As MEC President, Veda also spearheaded a diversity movement by creating a committee to work with management to promote a workforce that more closely represents the communities they serve. Veda was recruited to help with AFA's organizing campaign at Delta Air Lines even before she became president of the Alaska MEC. As a Member Organizer, she coordinated efforts in western domiciles during AFA's first Delta campaign. Until she was elected International President in April 2010, Veda directed the union's efforts in the most recent campaign to Organize Delta's Flight Attendants. She vowed to continue efforts to bring the Delta Flight Attendants into the Union. Unless we organize the unorganized in our industry, management will attempt to pit us against each other to drag down our standards and our profession. She was instrumental in helping to organize four airlines in 2009, a record annual number for the union. Every Flight Attendant should be a member of AFA,? she said. In addition, she has directed AFA's Leadership Development and internal organizing, rallying the troops when efforts are needed on contract campaigns or in legislative battles. We were able to mobilize a lot of Flight Attendants to come to Washington to help us fight for OSHA and FMLA coverage for our profession, and we were successful,? Veda said. Our members played an enormous role, meeting with their members of Congress, and just making their presence known. Flight Attendants enjoy respect and credibility on Capitol Hill as members of AFA-CWA. Veda has testified regularly before Congress on issues of importance to Flight Attendants, and believes that we can have an impact on airline industry and labor policy. The Association of Flight Attendants must play an essential role. We are at the beginning of a resurgence for our union and our profession,? Veda said. I m looking forward to leading us into this new era, supporting a corps of new leaders at the MEC and LEC levels, and listening to members all along the way. It's a new day for AFA.