Guidelines for the new UPSEU Steward

Congratulations!

You were just elected as Steward for your section or work area. With that title comes the important responsibility of defending the union and its members.

 

Here are some tips for the new Steward:

First of all, remember that as a UPSEU Steward you have the support of the Union. That means that if you don’t know the answer to questions or are not familiar with procedures, ask your UPSEU Business Representative. With your position comes a huge responsibility and you need to be able to provide the right answers to members and follow the correct procedures in your dealings with management. Your members will respect you for following this simple advice.

• Take your time. Listen carefully. Write things down. Buy yourself a spiral notebook and begin to document your activities. If you investigate a grievance, write down the 5Ws in your notebook or on the grievance fact sheet that the local provides with the grievance form.
  
• Be on your toes. You will be tested by management the moment you become a steward. Keep your cool, act professional and be aware of your rights. Your supervisor or manager will probably try to tell you what you can or cannot do as a steward. Remember you are hearing this information from a self-serving and biased source.
  
• Check out our UPSEU Steward Guide for labor law guidance. You will also receive the Shoptalk newsletter on a regular basis. As you read it over, highlight those items of particular interest. Keep a file for them so that you can easily refer back to them as needed. Don’t forget that your UPSEU representative is ALWAYS available to assist you with both the big and small problems you encounter.
  
• You are a representative of UPSEU to your members. Introduce yourself and greet new hires. Be the strongest advocate of the union at your workplace. Pass along information to your UPSEU representative. Squelch rumors. Work together with your local’s officers. That may mean getting past bad feelings after a heated union election or argument; remember you must represent all members fairly and equally.
  
• If a member comes to you with a complaint that could be grieved, investigate it quickly and professionally. Resolve the issue in the quickest and fairest way. Don’t make the member wait unnecessarily for an answer. Tell him/her that you will get back to them with an answer and then get back to them. If the issue can’t be grieved, see if there is a way to resolve it.
  
• If there is no grievance, be honest with the member but explain why the issue is not a grievance under your agreement. Work with other stewards so that they are aware of the issues you have been presented with. You don’t want a member going behind your back to another steward because he/she did not agree with your decision not to press a complaint.
  
• Read everything you can about your work—your UPSEU web site (www.upseu.org), your Advocate newsletter, Shoptalk, the daily newspaper, and labor books. Make sure education is part of your union’s regular business.