Monday, November 8, 2021

Secrets of Successful Stewards

Stewards are the union’s eyes and ears in the workplace—and your biggest advocates

CLAC prides itself on its collaborative approach to labour relations, working with both the employer and members to ensure that workplace issues are resolved quickly and fairly. But it couldn’t be done without hardworking stewards, who stick up for you and your coworkers when the going gets tough.

Stewards are members of a bargaining unit who have been chosen to represent the members’ interests and enforce the collective agreement. They are the union’s voice and are leaders in the workplace. They are not paid for their work as a steward, though they are compensated when they lose time from work when acting on behalf of the union.

The role of a steward often can be difficult and thankless. Coworkers make both reasonable and unreasonable demands on stewards. They may suffer the wrath of those who dislike the union. In consultation with their representative, they have to make difficult decisions, such as how far to pursue an individual grievance that could damage the entire bargaining unit. They will, on occasion, have to tell a worker that their complaint does not qualify as a grievance.

Through it all, stewards strive to balance the rights and concerns of all members of the bargaining unit. Much of a steward’s work takes place behind the scenes, and you may never hear about it. So the next time you see your steward, be sure to express your appreciation for all that they do for you and your coworkers!

We asked six outstanding CLAC stewards from a variety of sectors to share some of their secrets about what makes a successful steward.

CARLA BURKERT
Educational assistant
Local 306 steward
Hanover School Division
Steinbach, MB

“I’ve been at Hanover School Division since I completed my college practicum here. It’s been 32 years.

“As a steward, I’m an advocate for the members of my educational assistant [EA] group by bringing up issues to management, or if someone is having issues with their benefits, I talk to the insurance provider on their behalf. In that way, I am a communicator.

“I’m also the keeper of the collective agreement, which I know pretty well. People often call me to ask how many days they get for a certain type of leave, for example.

“There is a saying that everything comes from the top down, so how the top feels and thinks is applied to everyone else, in any corporation. If we use a cooperative approach with management, when we do get into hard times, we are able to work things out in a respectful way, with fairness and by being open and patient.

“To be a steward, you must have the courage to be a voice for and to stand up for your members. You also have to be patient. Everything takes time—time for meetings, time for investigations, and time for feedback.

“You also need a desire to understand. A person may try to tell you something, but you need to be able to determine what this person is really saying. What do they truly need from me?

“I feel honoured that the EAs of Hanover School Division have trusted me as their steward for the past 16 years. I do not take their trust in me for granted and will continue to do my best for each and every one of them.”

MIKE STEWART
Truck driver
Local 66 steward
Clearbrook Grain & Milling Co. Ltd.
Abbotsford, BC

“Prior to this job, I was in the Grand Prairie oilfields for a while, driving a nitro truck. Before that, I was a correctional officer for the federal government. I spent five years in corrections, but it wasn’t a good fit for me.

“When I started with Clearbrook, we had a different union. Most workers were unhappy with it, so we started looking for other unions. CLAC stood out for many reasons. For example, their expansive benefits package, their philosophy of working for a better future, an excellent training facility, and the many courses they offer to upgrade yourself in a variety of professions.

“To bring CLAC on board, I did all my research and I presented it to the other workers at a lunch meeting. Everybody seemed pretty excited about it. Then we made a phone call to Jeff, the recruiting officer, and pushed it through fairly quickly. I think we ended up with 90 percent signing.

“I absolutely believe that the steward is a vital position—they ensure that there’s always communication between management and staff. A lot of people aren’t able to properly articulate their concerns, so having someone on site to help in that manner greatly benefits employees.

“The CLAC steward training program is very extensive and is always being upgraded. Sometimes, the information can be overwhelming. But they have an excellent support system, and someone is always available to assist in areas where you may have questions.

“Right now, some of our biggest workplace issues involve seniority, overtime, and contract wording. This coming round of negotiations, we will work to make headway in these areas and make the contract a bit more black and white.

“On the mental health side of things, some guys are having a harder time than others, especially during COVID. But we talk it out and get through it the best way we can with each other.

“I get satisfaction out of seeing a happy workplace, somewhere where people go and feel free to talk with each other. The employees aren’t all miserable with their heads down, pointing at the ground, hating what they do. And that means I’m doing my job.”

CINDY FOULDS
Housekeeper
Local 302 steward
St. Peter’s Residence at Chedoke
Hamilton, ON

“I come from a line of healthcare workers, and St. Peter’s sounded like a wonderful place to work with pension, benefits, and all the bells, buzzers, and whistles. I could start part time and build my hours, which I did very quickly.

“As I started moving through the field and working with management—just as a housekeeper, not even in a union position—I realized that it’s not as glorified as one would think. You’re running short, you’re working your buns off, you’re tired when you get home. It wasn’t as frilly as I once thought.

“I’ve been at St. Peter’s now for 14 years. I learned very quickly where the staff are in the pecking order, which was very sad to see. When I came in, I had to learn to work within a system that was already in place.

“We had previously been with two other unions; I wasn’t involved with the first one. I did get involved with the second one, but I was not impressed with how I saw them maneuvering within our facility.

“They lacked communication and were never available unless it meant that they would be in the limelight. When things were good, they were there. Or when there was a PR opportunity, they would show up. But aside from that, we could never find anyone.

“That union’s steward training also wasn’t ideal. It was over three days and people from a bunch of sectors attended. It made it hard to get answers to questions specific to your field. And then we were handed a certificate and you were on your own.

“In all my time as a steward, I had never filed a grievance until I was with CLAC. When we came here, the representatives were basically dealing with raw stewards, because we had not been allowed to experience much.

“I come from a family of union workers, so when it was pitched that we switch to CLAC, I dug in my heels. That was how I felt then. When CLAC won the vote, I still ran for union positions because I believe in the power of unity, membership, and having a voice. Luckily, I found CLAC to be absolutely amazing.”

JANETTE DYCK
Direct support professional
Local 306 steward
enVision Community Living
Steinbach, MB

“I’ve been with enVision for four years and have been a CLAC steward since March 2020. I had always thought of unions as being bad because that’s how the media often portrays them. The previous steward kept talking to me about the opportunity to take over the position, as he wanted to step down.

“It took a lot of convincing. I asked him many, many questions to get an idea of what would be expected and what role I would play. He was a driver and wasn’t on site a lot, so he unfortunately didn’t witness when something happened. That’s why he thought I would be good for the position.

“The role seemed intimidating at first. It still does sometimes. And this past year has been an interesting one to become a steward.

“I enjoyed the Toolbox steward training. I love learning. It’s nice to be told what was going to happen and the different elements that are involved in stewardship.

“A good steward acts as the communicator between management and the employees. I have a good relationship on both ends, so that helps. Remaining respectful and knowing how to word things, even when things get heated, can be the biggest challenge.

“It’s been interesting to learn that unions do not have to be a bad thing. I can see how being able to work cooperatively with the employees and management is beneficial. As a steward, you can have a lot of influence on both sides.”

JYOTI ARORA
Payroll administrator
Local 301 steward
Save-On-Foods
Meadows location, Edmonton

“One of our previous stewards, who is now retired, was someone I admired. I wanted to help people, just like she did.

“I appreciate the opportunities that being a steward provides, such as the big conferences that we were a part of—at least before COVID. You meet a lot of people and talk about situations in small groups and classes. You learn something new every day.

“The one thing that I know I need to work on is my public speaking skills. I do possess empathy, the ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes, which is definitely needed for this role.

“I’ve also completed the mental health first aid training offered by CLAC, which has been of great use during the pandemic. So many people are dealing with issues. I had thought, last March and April, that I was going down the drain too. But I decided no, I have to buckle up and be strong.

“So I got myself stronger. I talked to my family all the time, every day after work. Even management will come and talk to me about how COVID is stressing them out.

“Stewards give employees the ability to talk to someone who knows what they are going through about work-related inquiries and issues. Sometimes, they come to me as a friend to talk about personal stuff. They are comfortable around me, and I am open and honest.

“They feel they can come to me rather than going to management— everybody’s scared to go to management, right? I’m glad that I can give them that freedom.”

KORY RABB
Project safety coordinator
Local 68 steward
Ledcor Construction Limited
Vancouver, BC

“During the ’90s, I worked numerous construction jobs, from insulation to plumbing. In the early 2000s, I worked as a warehouse forklift operator for the night position while I took care of my children during the day.

“I’ve been with Ledcor for 14 years. When our steward, Marty, left the company 12 years ago for a position at WorkSafeBC, a few workers nominated me for the position. I felt honoured.

“Our senior steward, Tom MacDonald, mentored me. He had an open-door policy and always answered his phone. That really made me feel more comfortable while I was a young steward—being mentored by the president of our local was in itself rewarding.

“CLAC’s mandatory steward training program gives us training at all levels. The beginners learn how to file grievances for workers and when they are needed. They are taught how the union works and how to seek out answers to questions they may have.

“The advanced training that is offered ranges from courses in mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, aboriginal affairs, and personal finance, to name a few.

“A steward is someone who represents the workers with the union and the employer. We ensure that all new workers are properly enrolled into CLAC and that they are aware of how to sign up for any training the union has to offer. At Ledcor, we have an education and training fund that our employer pays into.

“A steward is also someone who a worker can come to in confidence with any issue or problem that they may have. Whether it’s work-or home-related, we are there to help. And if we cannot directly help, we will try and find alternate ways to accommodate.”

CLAC’S UNION STEWARD TRAINING

CLAC provides stewards with comprehensive labour relations training through the Toolbox training series.

The delivery format for 2021 has changed to a four-hour, instructor-led Zoom session, which provides the same great training as our in-person options.

Toolbox 1 is the first in the series of courses. This course teaches what it means to be a steward, how CLAC operates as a union, and provides practical help for dealing with issues in your workplace and tips from other stewards.

For more information on how to become a CLAC steward, reach out to your representative today. Not sure who your representative is? Log in to your myCLAC account to find out, as well as details on all training offered by CLAC.

7 ROLES OF A STEWARD

When they are carrying out their regular duties as employees, whether they are carpenters, healthcare aides, or forklift operators, stewards are just like everyone else—they follow the rules and listen to the boss. But when stewards act on behalf of the union, they speak to the manager not as employees but as representatives of CLAC—equals, not subordinates.

Here are seven major roles that stewards play.

1. Welcome Wagon

On behalf of the union, stewards welcome newly hired employees to the workplace and give the employee an opportunity to sign a union membership application.

2. Enforcer

A key part of a steward’s task is to enforce the collective agreement. This is not limited to the filing of grievances. Stewards remind management and fellow members of certain collective agreement provisions. This means they know the collective agreement inside and out. This also allows them to make note of any possible changes needed, which can be brought up prior to the next round of bargaining.

3. Link

Stewards relay concerns and opinions of union members to the union representative and pass on information from the union to its members.

4. Detective

There are often many sides to a story. Stewards need to gather basic information about an incident such as when did it happen? Where? Were there witnesses? Is there paper evidence, such as a time sheet or incident report? Has this type of incident occurred before?

5. Witness

Stewards may be called on to sit in on a discipline meeting for a fellow employee. They are not there to argue, but to act as witnesses and take notes. Before and during the meeting, they can reassure the employee, who might be afraid or upset. After the meeting, they can discuss with the employee whether a grievance is warranted.

6. Defender

Stewards are the defenders of the union. This job is not always easy, as decisions by the union may not be popular with all of their coworkers. But divisions among members in a workplace weaken the union and undermine stewards.

7. Record Keeper

Stewards receive lots of paperwork—copies of letters, disciplinary forms, meeting notices, minutes, and much more—which they file for future reference.

4 THINGS A STEWARD IS NOT

A Lone Ranger

When a member has a problem, they shouldn’t just dump it on the steward and leave. The member needs to be involved in the search for a solution.

A Boss

Stewards are employees and have the task of fulfilling their duties as a steward in addition to— not in place of—their tasks as an employee. In nonunion matters, they are not above their colleagues, unless the employer has given them a supervisory role.

A Door Mat

While sometimes employees may need to vent to their stewards, this shouldn’t happen all the time. Treat your stewards respectfully. They volunteer much of their time to work on behalf of you and your coworkers.

A Miracle Worker

Stewards must work within the bounds of the collective agreement, the law, and other people’s schedules. Because of this, they are not always able to file a grievance for every complaint, and even if a grievance is filed, they cannot guarantee a win.