Attending a stewards training program for Local 151 are, l. to r.: sitting, Dick Schlindwicin, Jim Owens Jr., and Dave Rahn; standing, Rick Gibbs, Kirt McFadden, Bob Edmonds, Mike Central, Sheila Scribal, and instructor Charles Goodman.
MEMBERS OF LOCAL 151 (Erie, Pa.) attended a one-day steward’s training class June 1. Conducted by Charles Goodman, a leadership committeeman with the Pennsylvania Keystone Industrial Council, the class covered such topics as grievance handling, knowing your labor agreement, and arbitrations.
Attendees analyzed two grievance samples, discussed grounds for a grievance, learned note-taking skills, and discussed contract interpretation.
They also learned about Weingarten Rights, the FMLA, the steward’s role, and the effect grass-roots efforts can have on a grievance’s outcome.
When the class discussed union rights under the NLRB, they talked about the role Local 151 members played in a grievance bound for arbitration. “The stewards had suggested that members wear bright-colored buttons to show their support for the grievant,“ Goodman reported. “The result had a major effect on the settlement of the grievance.”
Goodman thanks Intl. Reps Robert Heine and Howard Cole for their assistance in preparing for this class. “I think all in attendance came away with more knowledge of the duty of a steward and the workings of union procedures,” Goodman said. “I am proud of the stewards.”
