Stewards

Recently I did some training with a group of newly elected officers and business agents. We used their International’s steward training manual, but I felt it missed the mark on several issues. When I reviewed manuals from other unions, these mistakes kept coming up. The most common error I saw was “under our contract we don’t represent probationary employees.” Another statement heard too often: “They aren’t really members yet.” This issue is affecting more workers, as employers bargain longer probationary periods. Thirty days used to be the norm; now some contracts say six months.