FAQ: 

 

1. What is a Steward?

 

A steward is a designated union representative who acts as a touch point for other union members in their shared workplace. A steward is someone who listens to their fellow members problems, advocates for them and helps find solutions to any problems they may encounter, and sometimes acts as a mediator between the employer and the member if there is an issue.

 

2. What Responsibilities do I have as a Steward?

 

Your responsibilities as a steward are broken into two categories: organizing and representation. Organizing is the work you do to mobilize members and build solidarity within the union. Representation is the work you do when a member comes to you with a problem.

 

3. What Rights do I have as a Steward?

 

As a steward, you still have the same responsibility to ensure you fulfill your duties as an employee. However, you also have the right to perform you duties as a union steward, so long as they do not interrupt your own or another members work. For example, under AMURE’s current collective agreement, stewards  have the right to schedule short visits with members during working hours, so long as you obtain the permission of the employees supervisor. This permission may not be unreasonable withheld (see Collective Agreement, Article 9.11). Check your own Collective Agreement to learn more about your rights as a Union Representative. 

 

4. What sorts of things will I do as a steward?

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• Help to establish and maintain a strong union presence in the workplace

• Maintain contact with members in your workplace

• Encourage members to stay informed on current issues

• Encourage members to increase participation in the union (by attending meetings, events, or solidarity actions)

• Welcome, orient and sign-up new members

• Recruit new stewards

• Empower members through knowledge of the collective agreement

• Listen to members complaints, problems and help find solutions

• Gather information about current workplace issues and provide to the Executive

 

Top 10 Things a Steward Should Do

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1. Get to know the membership you represent

2. Make yourself familiar and available

3. Meet with members to hear individual or group concerns or complaints

4. Be proactive in identifying and solving problems, rather than waiting and reacting to problems

5. Talk informally to supervisors to address members’ issues

6. Mobilize members when management breeches the collective agreement, their own policies or the law

7. Provide representation to members on grievances

8. Organize and participate in workplace actions

9. Work with and take direction from local executive and union staff

10. Engage members in union campaigns

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PSAC Steward Fact Sheet

 

Suggested Reading​:
 

Settlers: The Myth of the White Proletariat , J. Sakai

 

https://onkwehonwerising.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/settlers-mythology-of-the-white-proletariat.pdf

 

How to Fire your Boss, IWW (International Workers of the World) 

 

http://www.infoshop.org/pdfs/HowToFireYourBoss.pdf

 

Un Syndicalisme de Combat, Jean-Marc Piotte

 

http://classiques.uqac.ca/contemporains/piotte_jean_marc/syndicalisme_de_combat/syndicalisme_de_combat.pdf

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Combative Unionism: Waging Class War Within Labour

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https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/combativeunionism