Career
He is a well-known figure in the Australian labour movement, and in May 2012 Sheldon was named one of the most powerful union leaders in Australia by The Power Index. Under Sheldon"s leadership the TWU is leading the fight to save jobs at Qantas and for the future for the Australian aviation industry. Born in Sutherland, Sydney, Sheldon attended De Louisiana Salle College (Cronulla, NSW).
He has completed post graduate studies in Industrial Law at the University of NSW and is a graduate of the Harvard University Trade Union program
He worked as a garbage collector, and his professional union activity began in 1988. He joined the TWU in the 1990s.
He led the NSW branch of TWU from 1999 to 2008 and has been TWU National Secretary since 2006. In 2008, Sheldon was accused of running a joint employer-union training fund.
A review by professional services firm Deloitte noted a lack of governance arrangements in the operation of the fund, which should have been in place to ensure its formal separation from the TWU. Sheldon is a former vice president of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) and former Senior Vice President of the Australian Labor Party.
