Question for Shop Stewards and (maybe) Management

tieguy

Banned
Management probably does not like the steward because s/he holds them accountable to the terms and conditions of the contract .... or s/he could just be a meddling, loud-mouthed dip****. :wink2:

Interesting point. I actually agree with the original poster heres why.

Over the years we often took the Loud mouth antagonist and made him the loser steward. He got all the clear cut no prayer for redemption discipline cases. We would then give the other cases with grey area to the less antagonistic stewards.

Less antagonistic did not mean they rolled over for us it just means they did not try to stand up and create a scene on every issue. Many of them put up excellent defenses for thier people and earned a lot of wins. But by acting calm and respectful they got us to listen to them where we would never listen to the loud mouth arse who would throw a caniption fit on every word.

That to me is whats sad about stewards. The guy who stands up and grandstands generally gets very little done. But the union goons love him and think he is a great steward.

The guy who is a quiet diplomat often gets management to listen to him and can be much more effective in the long run but sometimes come up on the short end of the stick to those members who think he should act like a richard cranium on every issue.
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
I guess it works a little different in the big city, but out in the flatlands we pick our steward to represent us, not the guys in the ties. It wouldn't really matter much, both of our stewards are like a pit bull with a bone when it comes to the contract.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Interesting point. I actually agree with the original poster heres why.

Over the years we often took the Loud mouth antagonist and made him the loser steward. He got all the clear cut no prayer for redemption discipline cases. We would then give the other cases with grey area to the less antagonistic stewards.

Less antagonistic did not mean they rolled over for us it just means they did not try to stand up and create a scene on every issue. Many of them put up excellent defenses for thier people and earned a lot of wins. But by acting calm and respectful they got us to listen to them where we would never listen to the loud mouth arse who would throw a caniption fit on every word.

That to me is whats sad about stewards. The guy who stands up and grandstands generally gets very little done. But the union goons love him and think he is a great steward.

The guy who is a quiet diplomat often gets management to listen to him and can be much more effective in the long run but sometimes come up on the short end of the stick to those members who think he should act like a richard cranium on every issue.
Its the employee that picks their steward not the management team.

I do not consider myself a loud mouth, but by no means am i a laid back steward. I will jump on a sup working in front of everyone and I am not scared to raise my voice in the office with the CEO of this company.
 

UPSNewbie

Well-Known Member
One point with tie: in a simpler world, there should be no need for grandstanding if the contract was followed on both sides.
 

tieguy

Banned
Its the employee that picks their steward not the management team.

not really. Management sets the time and place for the meeting. they can make sure the loud mouth is not available at that time.

I do not consider myself a loud mouth, but by no means am i a laid back steward. I will jump on a sup working in front of everyone and I am not scared to raise my voice in the office with the CEO of this company.

There are exceptions to every case. I stand by my original point the quiet diplomat gets more out of management then the loudmouth grandstander.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
There are exceptions to every case. I stand by my original point the quiet diplomat gets more out of management then the loudmouth grandstander.

I beg to differ, the steward that knows his contract will get what is deserved out of management, grandstander or not.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
If that is true, and it is, then why the need for the theatrics?
Do you think that every steward goes through an acting school? People that became stewards are already formed individuals. Just because someone is a loud person doesn't mean they are grandstanding. Each human being is different from the next so what you call theatrics, is actually someones attitude.

Or it could be a steward that has tried over and over again to have the company honor the contract and has decided that he/she will now treat the management team the same way that they treat the contract.

If you think for a minute that being a union steward is a cake walk, please try it for a few months. I have to file grievances at night after the kids go to bed or on my lunch hour and then get up early to get in to work to present them to my manager. Then i have to go through all the information requests that the company gives that I have asked for. Im talking about hours per week of my time to do my best to uphold the contract to represent the members, when the company decided to violate the contract over a few seconds time.

Doesnt seem fair does it?
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
not really. Management sets the time and place for the meeting. they can make sure the loud mouth is not available at that time.


This is typical of what is wrong with management, thinking they can manipulate the time of the hearing to control what steward will be present. Again, maybe you do things differently, but here, stewards have the right to be off duty to conduct union business anytime. It would be like the district attorney trying to schedule a trial so the defendant's chosen attorney could not attend. If this is management's tactic, be bright enough not to advertise it.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Red, I have absolutely no desire nor do my co-workers of me ever becoming a shop steward; in fact, there is a posting in my center now for a FT shop steward and I can just imagine the reaction if I were to sign it. That being said, I do appreciate all that you do for your members, as I am sure they do as well. My only point was if the steward has his ***** together as far as contract knowledge then there should be no reason for what Tie referred to as "grandstanding". Discussions can grow heated but yelling for the sake of putting on a show does little to resolve an issue. Dave.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
I beg to differ, the steward that knows his contract will get what is deserved out of management, grandstander or not.

It varies area to area. Stewards here are all different and definitly have different approaches and also different results. Normally though, I find the less aggressive and more laid back stewards get less in these parts.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
If you think for a minute that being a union steward is a cake walk, please try it for a few months.

Try being a moderator. geez. jk

I was the president of two home owners associations and captain of several tennis teams. Was is the operative word here.

Too much work, no appreciation, people beyotch atcha and you don't get paid a dime.
Might do it again when I retire but not when I have a full-time job.

Hat is off to you Red.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
Try being a moderator. geez. jk

I was the president of two home owners associations and captain of several tennis teams. Was is the operative word here.

Too much work, no appreciation, people beyotch atcha and you don't get paid a dime.
Might do it again when I retire but not when I have a full-time job.

Hat is off to you Red.

as you may know, stewards here get super-seniority rights and also paid back all dues for the year (roughly $800). Not quite something for nothing.
 

Solidarity413

Well-Known Member
Interesting point. I actually agree with the original poster heres why.

Over the years we often took the Loud mouth antagonist and made him the loser steward. He got all the clear cut no prayer for redemption discipline cases. We would then give the other cases with grey area to the less antagonistic stewards.

Less antagonistic did not mean they rolled over for us it just means they did not try to stand up and create a scene on every issue. Many of them put up excellent defenses for thier people and earned a lot of wins. But by acting calm and respectful they got us to listen to them where we would never listen to the loud mouth arse who would throw a caniption fit on every word.

That to me is whats sad about stewards. The guy who stands up and grandstands generally gets very little done. But the union goons love him and think he is a great steward.

The guy who is a quiet diplomat often gets management to listen to him and can be much more effective in the long run but sometimes come up on the short end of the stick to those members who think he should act like a richard cranium on every issue.


:rofl: tieguy you crack me up!
 
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