Local 587 shop members put new skills to work

Attending a luncheon celebrating the completion of a one-day stewards training program are, l. to r., IR Clay Herford, retired BM-ST Bueford Herford, BM-ST Sandy Kirkland, and stewards Al Lewis, Jerry Hammett, Larry Burnham, and Robert Holcomb.

FOUR MEMBERS OF LOCAL 587 (Orange, Texas) attended a one-day training seminar on April 15. The class was held for stewards working at the Gulf Coast Machine Shop and covered such topics as duties of a steward, the steward’s legal rights, investigating grievances, choosing arguments, duty of fair representation, and Weingarten Rights (an employee’s right to representation when an interrogation could lead to discipline).

Local 587 BM-ST James (Sandy) Kirkland III presented certifications of completion to the stewards at a luncheon on Sunday, August 12.

“The stewards commented on how beneficial the class has been,” Kirkland said. “They said the training has helped them a lot in dealing with both the company and the employees in the shop.”