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Correction Counselor Johnny Burtin |
Responsible to represent all OCSEA members and fair-share employees assigned to non-custody.
THE ROLES OF THE STEWARD
AFSCME members bring different skills, abilities, strengths and experiences to the job of union steward. Some are terrific organizers while others are great at motivating people. Some enjoy representing members in the grievance procedure and others eagerly tackle on-the-job issues by developing new tactics and strategies. With their energy, enthusiasm and commitment, AFSCME stewards play a key role in creating a vigorous local union.
The Steward As Leader
AFSCME members look to the steward as a leader in the workplace. They turn to the steward when they are seeking information, or when they need some help in solving a problem. To be a leader, the steward must understand the diversity of the union’s membership — cultural, racial, gender differences — and promote unity and solidarity to confront management attempts to divide workers.
As a steward, you must have credibility (defined simply as being “worthy of belief or trust”) with union members, co-workers, and with the managers and supervisors with whom you attempt to address workers’ concerns and problems. Usually, credibility isn’t easily granted — it must be earned over time.
You must be able to listen to the problems, concerns and issues of members and co-workers. Listening is a skill that must be learned and practiced.
Stewards must be able to motivate members to take action to address concerns and solve problems. Stewards who try to “do it all” become over-burdened, overwhelmed and stressed out. Stewards who “do it all” are not involving other members in the union. A local union’s strength is directly related to the amount and kinds of activities in which union members are involved.
Doing What It Takes To Be A Leader
Earning Credibility
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Be honest....be a straight shooter with members, co-workers, and managers; a steward who bluffs, misleads or skirts the truth won’t remain credible for very long. |
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Be reliable....When you are asked a question and you don’t know the answer, say “I don’t know” — then get the information and get back to the person as soon as possible. When you say you are going to do something, follow through. |
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Be knowledgeable....know the contract, the work rules and policies, co-workers in your area, supervisors and managers, issues impacting the workers, etc. |
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Be supportive....when co-workers approach you with their concerns and complaints, offer understanding, encouragement and help or guidance in addressing their problems. |
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Be committed....to the labor movement and the goals of AFSCME — gaining respect, dignity and fair treatment on the job, and providing a voice in determining working conditions. |
Listening
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Pay attention....to what the member, non-member or manager is saying. |
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Show interest....in the issue, problem or complaint that is being described; maintain eye contact. |
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Concentrate....don’t fake attention or allow yourself to be distracted. |
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Don’t interrupt....it’s impossible to listen when you are also talking. |
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Ask questions....if you are unclear, confused or don’t understand something the person is saying. |
Motivating
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Lead by example. |
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Build relationships of trust and solidarity over time, so that you have a solid foundation when you ask people to do a specific task or take part in an activity. |
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Talk to members one-on-one — it’s more effective, for example, than asking for volunteers at a group meeting. |
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Assign people specific, clearly defined tasks; it’s easier to get volunteers to do a small part of a project than to take on the entire project. |
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Establish when the task will begin, and when the task will end. |
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Match a member’s skills and interests with a particular activity (for example, if you know someone who likes to draw, ask him/her to design a graphic for a leaflet). |
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The Steward As Organizer
Reach Out to New Employees. In almost every instance, the first union leader a new employee sees is the steward. Right away you have a golden opportunity to “organize” the new worker — that is, have the employee sign a membership card and join the union. Place a high priority on signing up new members, whether the employee is new on the job, or the worker has been around for years but — for whatever reason — hasn’t yet joined the union. In surveys, the Number One reason workers give for not joining a union is: “No one ever asked me.” That problem is easy to fix — go out and ask co-workers to join our union.
Don’t Forget Agency Fee (or “Fair Share”) Payers. In many places the union has negotiated a contract provision that workers who don’t join the union are still required to pay an agency fee (usually a percentage of or equivalent to union dues). When it comes to organizing, don’t forget these people or take the attitude of “well, we’re getting their money so it doesn’t matter if they become members.” Every worker in the bargaining unit is a potential member, a potential resource, a potential talent, and a potential activist within the union.
Organizing New Members
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Be a visible union presence on the job. A good first step is to wear your steward button at work every day. |
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Greet new employees the first day on the job. |
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Provide a “welcome kit” of union materials . |
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Talk about the importance of being a member of the union and answer any questions an employee has about the union or about the job. |
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Offer a membership card and ask the employee to sign and join the union. |
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After signing up new members, keep in touch and ask them to participate in union activities and join union committees. |
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Know the work area you represent — who’s in the union, who’s not, where they work, what shift, etc. |
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Talk with members and non-members alike on a regular basis — get to know them. |
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Provide union literature (e.g., newsletters) and materials about specific topics (e.g., health and safety, childcare or privatization, etc.) so they can see union efforts on issues that affect them. |
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When workplace issues arise that could involve a group effort, ask non-members to participate and become part of the solution. |
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The Steward As Communicator
The steward is the hub of a communications wheel. Information is constantly transmitting back and forth along all the spokes of this wheel.
A strong union depends on this information flow. Union officers, stewards and members are always making decisions on how to address problems and on actions needed to create a better workplace. The greater the quantity and quality of this flow of information, the better those decisions will be.
The Steward As Representative
The steward represents employees in the grievance procedure (see Section III). In addition, there are several other times when you become a representative, including:
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In informal problem-solving efforts and discussions with management. |
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In interactions with local officers, giving voice to employee views and concerns. |
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On the flip side, the steward represents local leaders when he/she passes on to members union-related information and objectives. |
The Steward As Educator
Being a union educator is an ongoing task. You should know your contract or work rules, issues affecting members, and all about the union. But having a head full of information is only the first step. Just as important is your ability to share knowledge and information in a way that helps workers understand how and why issues affect them. Informed and educated members become active members.
What the Steward Should Know and Teach
The Contract (or other work rules in places where the union has not yet gained collective bargaining rights and negotiated a contract). A contract contains the wages, hours and working conditions agreed to by the union and management. It is the primary source of employee rights on the job.
Work Rules, which may be found in such documents as Civil Service Rules, Merit System Rules, or thick policy and procedure manuals devised by management.
Union Structure. Know the names of the local’s officers and stewards; the committees that are in place and the names of committee chairs; the date, time and place of membership meetings; the phone number of the union office (if there is one); member benefits; and services provided by the Council and International union.
Union Direction and Goals. Be familiar with the union’s objectives (for example, stopping privatization, passing legislation that helps workers, organizing new members, etc.); the union’s values (protecting a worker’s right to respect, dignity and fair treatment on the job); and the union’s mission (gaining new members, increasing on-the-job rights and protections; and improving wages and working conditions).
Union Positions on Issues and How Issues Affect Employees. Stay informed on issues affecting AFSCME members by reading union publications, and by accessing the AFSCME home page (http://www.afscme.org/default.htm) on the Internet. (More and more locals, councils and affiliates are creating web pages as well). While providing information on issues is a good first step, educating workers on how an issue affects them is a crucial second step. |
The Steward As Problem Solver and Union Builder
Different problems arise on the job almost every day. The supervisor is doing this, or not doing that. Co-workers are doing this, or not doing that. The administrator is not doing what he promised; or, the administrator is doing exactly what he promised not to do. To address most workplace problems, there are usually several approaches and options available.
The Grievance Procedure is the formal problem-solving process found in the contract, or work rules if there is no contract. It has precise steps for stewards and managers to follow. Yet, the grievance procedure has drawbacks: First, many problems are not covered by contract language. Second, it takes time to process a grievance through the steps of the procedure, bringing to mind the old phrase, “justice delayed is justice denied.” Third, a grievance often involves only one steward and one worker. Therefore, management is only confronted with one steward and one worker. And where do unions find their strength? In numbers! So, always think about how you can involve members to address on-the-job problems.
Informal discussions with management can often successfully resolve workplace problems. The workers’ representative — the steward — could do this. Better yet, a group of workers — with their steward — could meet with the manager. Strength in numbers! This could be done before filing a grievance (when there may be a better chance to solve the problem). Or, it could be done instead of filing a grievance.
Finally, as a steward you should not be afraid to get creative and look for Action Oriented Solutions for workplace issues and problems. Meet with employees and brainstorm ideas. Actions can be simple or elaborate. Everything from petitions to button days to leaflets to informational picketing. It depends on the issue as well as on the solidarity and the energy of the group — and you can cultivate these over time.
An Example of Using a Problem to Build Strength
Scenario: During the summer months the central air-conditioning system in a city building ran continuously. Employees would come in from the summer heat to a building that was downright chilly. Workers were not comfortable. Many were having to use sick leave. The steward filed a grievance but nothing happened. The department head said it was beyond his control to fix.
Taking Action: Anger and frustration mounted so the steward gathered employees and together they came up with a plan. First, they circulated a petition demanding the air conditioning be fixed. The steward and three other union members presented the petition to the department head; a copy was sent to the city manager.
Next, the employees had a small sign made up that they xeroxed and they all posted by their desks, so members of the public could see. The sign said: “We’re not giving you the cold shoulder, the building is.”
The employees talked about what else they could do. They considered an informational picket line but decided they wanted to do some other action first so everyone would participate. One member said she knew how to get a supply of green earmuffs. The earmuffs were obtained and for three consecutive days all the employees wore them while working. At the same time, the steward wrote a letter to the city manager, demanding a meeting to discuss the air conditioning. The steward had all employees in the department sign the letter. A representative committee delivered the letter in person to the city manager’s office.
The city manager did not meet with the employees. Instead, over the weekend, the air conditioning system was repaired.
| The following weekend the employees had a party to celebrate and sing a chorus or two of Solidarity Forever. |
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