EDUCATING YOUR MEMBERS may not be the first responsibility that comes to mind when you think of your duties as a steward, but that activity is the one that promises to reap you the most rewards.
Well-educated members understand your position in the union and in their lives. They know when to come to you with a problem and what kinds of problems you can help them with.
Well-educated members understand the collective bargaining agreement well enough to recognize possible contract violations and bring them to your attention promptly. They know that the earlier you identify an area of disagreement with the company and begin talking to them about it, the more likely you are to reach a quick resolution of the problem.
Well-informed members know what their local lodge has accomplished for them in the recent past, what they are working on right now, and what the members and leadership hope to gain in the future. When members are aware of the many ways the lodge is working to make things better for them, they feel a sense of belonging and empowerment. When you need your members to stand behind you, they are more likely to do so if they know how you and the lodge have been standing up for them.
Stewards should look for ways to work education into their daily contacts with members. One good idea is to come up with a different bit of wisdom every week and do your best to pass it along to everyone you represent.
Tell them about a grievance you just resolved (whether you won or lost) and explain how they can avoid that problem: “Joe just got taken off suspension for leaving early. He had permission to leave, but he failed to notify his supervisor. Don’t make that mistake.”
Or pass along a contract interpretation they might not be aware of: “A holiday is coming up, so keep in mind you get paid for it if you work the last workday on your schedule before the holiday and the first after the holiday. The language was unclear, but that’s how we agreed to interpret it. Don’t stretch the weekend another day and expect to get paid.”
Or enlighten them on an activity of the union they may not be aware of: “We’re having a mortgage specialist at the next meeting to tell us how to figure out when it’s a good time to refinance.”
Use a variety of educational approaches
WHEN YOU’RE EXPLAINING a difficult topic, you probably want to talk to a person one-on-one. Complex topics often require a great deal of back-and-forth discussion between the steward and the member, as the member asks questions to try to understand what you are explaining. Emotionally-difficult topics require the intimacy of a private conversation as well. But if you only talk to members one-on-one, you’ll spend a lot of time getting the word out.
When the topic allows you to do so, find ways to address your members in small groups. For example, if you’re simply relaying some relatively simple information to them and you’re not likely to get into a long discussion, you can pull a small group together on your break or lunchtime. Most people take breaks and eat in groups anyway, so all you have to do is stop by and give them the information: “The company is still bugging us on that health care co-pay. They want to open the contract to negotiate an increase because costs have gone up so much this year. We think this can wait until the end of the contract next year. We may need your support if we need to take some action.”
And don’t forget the effectiveness of putting words on paper. A well-written handout or flyer can sum up a complex issue in a few bulleted points. The advantage of having your material in writing is that a person’s memory may fade or change, but the written word doesn’t.
Keep members informed on negotiations, grievances
MEMBERS ALWAYS WANT new information about the progress on grievances you are handling and contract negotiations. Keeping them well-informed can help you avoid divisive rumors and misunderstandings.
When discussing the progress of a grievance, be sure to explain fully not only what is happening, but why. The mere fact that the company rejected your most recent argument doesn’t help the member understand the process and what you are up against. Explain why it was rejected and, perhaps, explain what you’ll do next. Likewise, when you win, explain why. Members who only learn you’ve won, but don’t know what arguments you made and what evidence you presented, may expect you to win their next grievance, even though they give you no good evidence and nothing on which to make a strong argument.
Members should be kept informed of the bargaining committee’s progress in negotiations, but you need to be sure to pass along only what the committee wants you to communicate, and nothing more. In the give-and-take of negotiating, many possibilities may get mentioned, but until both sides agree, they are just ideas. If you prematurely get members worked up — whether positively or negatively — about an issue, you could make the committee’s job much harder.
To learn more about the educational opportunities available from the International, or to schedule a steward training session for your local lodge, contact Education and Training Services.
