Part-time Union Steward

[Dnking]

Just got voted in to be the new Part-time Union Steward. Pretty excited! Been with the company 12 years, so i have a little experience. But always looking for some words of wisdom since im new to this. Any good advice?

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Give an inch, they take a mile. In other words, make sure you enforce the contract every time, from the beginning so there is no "play" on the companies part to get away with whatever they can.

We have one steward who just does not do the right thing. This steward never files on supervisors working (right in front of them) and makes a lot of deals. This is exactly the type of steward that no one wants to deal with, company aside.

 

[menotyou]

Memorize the contract. Don't accept any Jimmy Dean Sandwiches from a supervisor(inside joke). Don't think your sups are friends. They are bosses with agenda's.

 

[Dnking]

Great advice guys. Your both right. Deals are made all the time. The center I work in, we only have 9 preloaders including myself. The Union Steward i replaced has done the job for some time(10 yrs or so). He never really said anything unless something affected him personally. So im, pretty excited to look out for my fellow workers and try to set a good example..

 

[2Slow]

Expect the bosses to get nasty when you stand up to them. Get in the habit (hopefully you are already) of following all the rules to the letter everytime.

Unfortunately, sometimes the bad stewards aren't bad and selfish guys, sometimes the company has just got them beaten.

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Good luck!

 

[washington57]

The union has tried to push me into being a shop steward but it isn't worth it. Not paying dues isn't worth fighting the company on BS where the union guy is dirty so often.

I have filed over 100 grievances and have won every single one. I have integrity unfortunately many union people do not. I wouldn't mind representing the good union wokers but most of the time they dont need help and the company is right about the people they go after.

I appreciate the efforts of my shop stewards but i know they are put into a lot of hard places that i couldn't handle myself.

 

[menotyou]

Great advice guys. Your both right. Deals are made all the time. The center I work in, we only have 9 preloaders including myself. The Union Steward i replaced has done the job for some time(10 yrs or so). He never really said anything unless something affected him personally. So im, pretty excited to look out for my fellow workers and try to set a good example..

Sounds like my center. Quite small, but I like it that way. You get to feel almost as if you are family, and you care about each other. The bad part about that is the company doesn't like that and fights it tooth and nail.

 

[grgrcr88]

Thanks for your willingness to spend all your extra time helping out your brothers and sisters, who will never thank you and will bad mouth you whenever that think you did them wrong even when they do not know the contract at all. Keep your head up and don't give in when you know your right. Contract knowledge is the key. You neeed to know it backwards and forwards. Don't play favorites, every time your representing someone treat it as if it is your brother or sister standing next to you. Keeo your cool, do not get in pissing matches with the sups. That doesn't mean you can't get loud to make your point, but never let yourself get out of comtrol, when you do you cannot think rationally and will lose sight of the bigger picture. Get a copy of the book "The legal rights of a Union Steward" and read up on it. Most importantly, never guess. If you do not know something say so and find out, ask the Business Agent if you can't figure something out.

I again want to say THANKS for stepping up!!! Good luck to you!!

 

[Dnking]

All great advice. Thanks a bunch.

 

[Anonymous 10]

Don't ever expect any thanks.