THE STEWARD’S BIG JOB

Congratulations, Steward! You are the chief architect of the union in your plant, the protector of the union contract, the director of communications between each individual worker in your department and the management of your facility, and between the workers you represent and your union.

That’s a big job! But don’t let it scare you! If you are a new steward, you can’t possibly know all the angles by magic. You can’t possibly know all the things this manual says you must know. Not right away, and not all at once. If you are a new steward, you will learn then, gradually, through experience. So don’t get frightened, but take the job in your stride! But even if you’re pretty confident and an old hand at the game, it won’t hurt to refresh yourself a bit. Reading a pamphlet or going to stewards’ class won’t do the job for you, but it may help you to do it better.