NEED FOR STEWARDS

The steward system developed to meet the needs of unions as they grew in size and scope. Workers needed someone on the spot to whom they could take their grievances as they come up. A person was needed to make sure management was living up to its agreement day by day, for collective bargaining demands eternal vigilance.

The steward is to the union what the supervisor is to a company. Just as the supervisor is the company to the average worker, so the steward is the union to the average member. But whereas the supervisor represents the company and acts as its spokesman as part of his or her regular full-time job, the steward must take time off during working hours to handle grievances. Naturally, the agreement should provide that the steward be paid for the time lost in handling grievances during working hours. The clause might read as follows:

"The company will pay Stewards, members of the Shop Committee and aggrieved employees at their regular hourly rate, or average hourly earnings, whichever is greater, for time spent in processing grievances in accordance with the provisions of this agreement."

Again in contrast to the supervisor, the steward is not at all sure of keeping his or her job when layoffs begin. He or she must also wait in turn to be rehired. This is in accordance with the usual seniority provisions. Many agreements try to overcome this disadvantage by providing the steward with top seniority in the workplace. This protects the steward to the extent that he or she is the last worker to be laid off and first to be recalled. But don’t get it into your head that you can leave your place of work when you please because your are a steward. Under most contrasts, stewards may leave their posts only to handle grievances and only after notice to the supervisor. If the supervisor refuses to grant such a request, it is subject to the normal grievance processes as explained in this manual. But the grievance should be filed at the first opportunity.

In some cases, the Union provides that before employees are eligible for the office of steward they should have at least one year’s seniority with the company. This also affords some measure of protection to stewards and makes it possible for them to be of service any time grievances occur.

The supervisor is picked by supervisors, the shop steward is elected by equals in the local lodge. Every good standing member is eligible to serve as a shop steward. But, in choosing a steward, it is highly desirable to choose one who has shown more than casual interest in the union and has been a member long enough to have obtained a knowledge of working conditions. This is particularly important since the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act under which a steward is treated as an "agent" of the union. Section 2 (13) of the laws reads:

"In determining whether person is acting as an "agent" of another person so as to make the other person responsible for his act, the question of whether the specific acts performed were actually authorized or subsequently ratified shall not be controlling."

This language is the broadest possible definition of the law of agency, and it is purposely designed to make the Union liable for all the acts of its officers, stewards, committeemen and any member who night act as a spokesman or leader of a group no matter how unauthorized or inconsistent with Union policy the act may be. The irresponsible action of any member who might be found to be an "agent" by the National Labor Relations Board and also liable for money damages in suits by the employer. However, the fact that you’ve been chosen to represent the worker in your department shows that they have faith in you and respect your judgment.

Every union contract and every industry is different. You may be the only steward in the plant or you may be only one of great many stewards in a large factory. In large facilities with more than one department, a number of stewards and a system for coordinating the department stewards is necessary. Many large workplaces are set up by the company on the basis of sections, departments, floors, divisions and outside operations. In these cases, the steward system should correspond as closely as possible to the way the company has set up the workplace. After the election of department stewards, they should meet promptly and select their chief steward and recording secretary. Many successful stewards have found it profitable to eat lunch together every day and exchange experiences.